Solitude of Love
by SBoleyn
Summary: After her divorce from Henry, Anne and Charles Brandon form an unlikely friendship that could lead them towards the path of love. Will they listen to their hearts? Or will Henry and Anne's feelings for each other get in the way? In the words of García Márquez "The only regret I will have in dying is if it is not for love."
1. Prologue

AN: Hey everyone! I know I haven't written in forever and I've never written Tudors stories before, I've always wanted to, but never had the guts to actually do it, but this story pretty much wrote itself. I don't know if I'll continue, so I won't make any promises. But please let me know what you think and if I should continue!

 _ **Solitude of Love**_

"Tell him yes. Even if you are dying of fear, even if you are sorry later, because whatever you do, you will be sorry the rest of your life if you say no." Gabriel García Márquez

 **Prologue**

She was in love with Charles Brandon. God, she was in love with _him_ , she tried to push the thought to the back of her mind, but watching him play with Elizabeth, being his carefree self, she felt happy, she felt warm, but she also felt afraid. She was scared, she had made a vow to never let any man do to her what Henry had done, he had destroyed her, but how she loved him, and how she hated him for it. She was the one who asked for the divorce that day 3 years ago, 6 months after losing her baby boy, she knew he wanted to get rid of her, she knew that things were never going to be the same and having seen what he did, what they did, to Mary and Katherine, she was determined to not let the same happen to her darling child, so she asked for a divorce, she did it for Elizabeth and she did it for herself. Yes, she loved him, and her life had revolved around him for 10 years, but he had done enough damage, and as much as it pained her to give him what he wanted, she knew that she hadn't lost, she had gained her freedom, and she got to keep Elizabeth a princess. She signed the papers and left, never to come back, and taking off the Queen Jewels had felt like taking off thousands of chains. Because she knew that had they been two commoners, she and Henry would have been happy, or at least that's what she wanted to believe, It hurt too much to think that in any life their love would never be enough, as great as it was, it burned too hard, way too fast, and maybe it was never meant to be, because a love such as that could make you the happiest person alive, but you had to sacrifice yourself in the process, and she was done putting everyone else's happiness before her own. That's why she was so afraid of falling in love with Charles Brandon, how had she hated him when he informed her that His Majesty had put him in charge of supervising her activities in Pembroke every 3 months. Really, it was funny how the people that booed her coronation were the same that shouted encouraging words at her when she left Whitehall, truth was, she had been a good queen and she kept helping the poor of Pembroke however she could, so Cromwell advised Henry to put someone in charge of supervising she didn't gather support that could be dangerous to the new queen. Please, as if she, the one who asked for the divorce, was going to gather people against him and his new sweetheart, the last thing she wanted was to return to court. But they sent Brandon anyway, Brandon of all people, she was sure that Henry and Cromwell had done all of it on purpose just because they couldn't see her happy, what other reason was there? But now she wanted to thank them, because every time he visited she was as happy as she had been during her courtship with Henry, the happiest time of her life, just his company was enough to put a smile on her face, and that was what scared her the most, that it was getting out of her control.

She was brought out of her thoughts by his gentle voice "Hey, is everything okay? Elizabeth went to fetch the dog Henry sent her." He knew she had been thinking too much, that's why he asked Elizabeth to bring the dog, he wanted a few minutes alone with Anne, but also knew that she loved puppies, that was an added bonus.

"Yes, I'm just thinking of everything that's happened in the last few years." Everything had changed and she didn't know what was going to happen, what did she even wanted to happen? Charles had divorced Catherine last year, and people at court were saying that it was her fault, they knew that he visited her more often than it was required, he didn't even need to supervise her anymore, to every commoner she had become the other queen, the second one, to the people of Pembroke she had become a loyal mistress. They all supported her, but there was no real threat, not since Jane Seymour had given birth to a baby boy.

"Then I guess you're bursting with joy, having been thinking so much of me."

She laughed, they both knew what she was implying with her answer, but he just had to make everything fun, she loved that about him, he didn't let her worry too much "Why yes, my lord, I'm bursting with joy thinking of all the times you've made a fool of yourself and I've been fortunate enough to bare witness to it." She replied, barely containing her laugh. Truth was, he had made a fool of himself many times, she had got to see that side of him, the more carefree side, and she loved it.

He didn't have time to respond, for Elizabeth appeared again holding a puppy in her arms, Edward and their governess, Lady Bryan, were right behind her. When Edward was born Anne had a difficult time deciding when to go to Hatfield, she knew he was going to be there and even if he was just a baby she didn't like all the feelings he brought out in her, especially regarding his parents. Henry had gotten what he wanted and with Seymour of all people, where she had failed Jane had succeeded at the first try, what did that say about her? About she and Henry? Had everyone been right? Surely Henry must have felt that God was smiling upon his and Jane's union. But Jane had gotten sick after giving birth and she remembered wishing that she died, but she didn't, she survived, and Anne didn't go to Hatfield in months, she was ashamed of her thoughts, how could she wish for a kid to be left motherless? She knew that if she hadn't asked for the divorce she would've suffered a fate worse than Katherine's, and she was aware of the damage it all did to Mary, she regretted the poor handling on her side of the situation, she had been paranoid and afraid, and blindly blamed her step daughter, when the only one to blame had been Henry, he always was. She reprimanded herself for not thinking of the fate of an innocent child just because she hated its mother, so she decided to go to Hatfield, see Elizabeth and meet little Edward, and truth to be told he was the sweetest baby and her girl adored him. Ever since, every time she went to visit Elizabeth they ended up playing with Edward and he loved them as much as they loved him.

To say that Charles had been surprised had been an understatement, and to say that they had a fight about him being so surprised had been an even bigger one. How dare he believe that she couldn't be nice to a child because of who the mother of said child was? Of course he had to bring up Katherine and Mary, and that was just the start of it, it had been their first and biggest fight, they were both frustrated with the other and didn't talk for weeks. Now they had a silent understatement of never bringing up the whole ordeal with Katherine, for they simply had different points of view, and even though she felt bad and she regretted what she had done to them, she didn't regret the reform, and he enjoyed listening to her talk about it, _he did_ , their discussions were his favorite part of the day, but they had to draw the line where her marriage to Henry was concerned, and what they had done to make it a reality. Of course he pushed to back of his mind the thought that that might be because he was jealous, he didn't like to think of Henry and Anne together, of the fact that they loved each other and that they still did, he wasn't stupid, a love like theirs didn't just end, it just disguised itself as hatred, and he knew that she was never going back to Henry, no matter what, she had told him that she didn't regret her decision to leave him and even if he came crawling back to her, she wouldn't take him back. But he wasn't so sure, and it scared him, it scared him to lose her, it scared him that her hold on him was so tight and she didn't even know. A moment later he heard Elizabeth's excited voice yelling "Mama! Charles! Edward woke up!"

Edward's little legs carried him to where they were sitting and he yelled "Nan!" Before climbing in Anne's lap and giving her a hug. Hugging him back and kissing his cheek she said "Hello my sweet boy, how are you?"

He just replied "good" with a little smile, and once again she was smitten. Even though the boy looked just like his mother he wasn't as shy as her, he was his own person, and that reminded her of Henry, but he wasn't as rebellious as him, she guessed that that was because he was just an innocent child and if his mother was a sweet as people said then he got that from her. Elizabeth on the other hand was the perfect mix between Anne and Henry and even though she behaved as a royal child ought to, she had a fiery temper, she just controlled it better than they did. The first year after the divorce Henry didn't visit her, Anne supposed that he was too busy with his new sweetheart to go to Hatfield, Around that time she and Brandon weren't really friends, but he accompanied her one time and Elizabeth absolutely adored him, which was when Anne really started to change her mind about him.

Charles felt Elizabeth tugging at his sleeve, he bent down to her level and she whispered to him "Charles, do you want play with me and Bo?"

He smiled at her and looking at Edward said "Your Highness, your dear sister and I are going to play with Bo, will you take care of the Lady Anne in my absence?"

Edward smiled, he loved his Nan, she always played with him even though she was not his mama, so he eagerly answered "Yes, your grace!" He liked how Charles treated him, he treated him as a big boy, and thus he behaved like one. Anne just smiled and held him closer in her lap as they watched Elizabeth and Charles throwing a ball at Bo. And that's how Henry VIII and Jane Seymour found them a few moments later. It was the first time they saw each other in 3 years and Anne couldn't help but lose her breath, she'd be lying f she said she didn't think of him, but seeing him was an entirely different thing.

"And again, as always, after so many years we were still in the same place we always were." Gabriel García Márquez


	2. Someone Else

A/N: Hello my loves! I don't have enough words to thank all of you for the support! Thank you to everyone who took the time to follow, favorite or review, you have no idea how much it means to me! As you can see I decided to continue with this story, it turns out it won't leave me alone until I write it. If everything goes as planned I expect to update once a week. Enjoy and let me know what you think! I'm all for hearing your input.

 _ **Solitude of Love**_

"Tell him yes. Even if you are dying of fear, even if you are sorry later, because whatever you do, you will be sorry the rest of your life if you say no." Gabriel García Márquez

 **Chapter 1**

2 years prior, when Anne found out that Henry had started going to Hatfield again, she decided to include in her letters to Lady Bryan the date of her next visits, hoping that the governess would catch the drift and inform Cromwell. It had worked, even though they both visited often, Anne and Henry never crossed paths. Henry had also understood one day when he told his Lord Chancellor to take care of some business for he was going with Jane to Hatfield, and Cromwell told him that the Marquess of Pembroke was visiting the Princess Elizabeth. Ever since, Cromwell warned him and he didn't have to see her, but today he completely forgot to tell Cromwell he was leaving. Jane had suffered a miscarriage a few weeks ago and he was disappointed, it was the first time she got pregnant since giving birth to their son, they had been so excited about having a Duke of York, and she lost him. He expected that visiting Edward would cheer them up and it would remind her that Hatfield was full of rooms waiting for boys to fill them. Swayed by the conviction that Jane would understand, and excited about seeing his son, he surprised her during breakfast by telling her to change into her traveling attire so they could leave as soon as possible, thus he didn't give Cromwell a chance to warn him and they arrived at Hatfield unannounced, taking everyone by surprise.

He knew that Anne was kind to Edward, Lady Bryan had told him so when he asked her if the Marquess of Pembroke had met his son, but never in a million years did he expect to encounter his precious boy sitting happily in Anne's lap as they watched Charles and Elizabeth play. He didn't know what shocked him more, that his son seemed to be completely content with Anne, and she with him, or that his daughter seemed to be having the time of her life with Charles, if he didn't know better he would've thought that the four of them were a family. He wasn't stupid, he had hear the rumors regarding Anne and Charles' relationship, at the time he had paid them no mind, he knew them and he knew that whatever it was between them wasn't going to last, they had always hated each other, it was a matter of time before they realized that they still did. He had to convice himself of that, he couldn't let himself believe that Anne could be happy in Charles' company, that Anne could love any other man that wasn't him.

No one had noticed them yet, and Henry knew that they all had to behave in front of the kids, so he forgot about Anne and Charles and with a clear voice and a smile on his face said "Edward, Elizabeth, aren't you going to greet your papa?"

It was like a spell had been broken, Edward jumped out of Anne's lap and ran towards them, he hugged his mother first, who had gotten down to his level, while Elizabeth ran towards her father. Anne watched as he hugged and kissed her and suddenly their eyes locked.

She felt as if all breath had been knocked out of her, she knew something like this was bound to happen sometime, she just did not expect it to be today. He was here and he was with _her_. The last time she saw him they had just signed divorce papers, the last time she saw her, Jane was still one of her ladies in waiting. In an ideal world this didn't happen, she wasn't reminded of the fact that she had divorced the man she waited 7 years to marry, she wasn't reminded of the fact that he was happy with his new wife. It wasn't that she regretted divorcing him, at the time it was the only thing left to do, they had hurt each other too much to go back to what they were, and that's what she regretted, that their love had turned so sour. All these years later and she still couldn't believe that the love that created one of the biggest scandals Christendom had ever seen had ended like that, she thought that they were going to grow old together, but then she had been young and a fool, she hadn't yet learned that in marriage love didn't last, you just grew used to the company of the other person, and they couldn't do that. All the fights that in their courtship were full of love, during their marriage were full of bitterness, precisely because they couldn't cope with the fact that they no longer loved each other with the passion of the first days, because the need for a son, the lingering presence of Katherine, the whispers of the courtiers had plagued them with doubts about one another. Sometimes she wondered if they had been happier had she accepted to be his official mistress, after all, she had loved him with every bit of herself, she had done everything for him, and she couldn't say that he didn't do the same for her, there was a time when he would've fought the devil himself just to see her smile. Maybe a love like that was meant to burn out quickly, only lasting a little time, but leaving behind ashes that threatened to reignite the fire again, with all the hurt that came if you got too close to it.

He felt like the first time he watched her, when he thought her eyes held all the secrets of the world, but rather than feeling awed, like he had all those years ago, he felt scared, for he had learned to read her soul trough her eyes and they no longer shined with eagerness for the future, with the confidence of someone who was smart enough to play all her cards right and charm everyone in the process. However, before he could decipher the new mysteries of her soul, she hardened her eyes and looked at Charles, she blocked him out, she had done it many times before, yet he always ended up knowing how she felt and making it all better, but when she needed him the most, during the last year of their marriage, he couldn't bring himself to look into her eyes, for he knew that if he did she was going to charm her way back to him and he would never be able to leave her, he ended up resenting her for that. He noticed the way she looked at Charles, the blink in her eyes when he smiled at her, the relief that showed on her face at watching him getting closer. His heart fell, once upon a while she had looked at him like that, he couldn't stand the fact that that look was no longer reserved for him.

Charles approached Anne as she was standing up and they walked the little distance towards Henry and Jane, who were still greeting the children. Once they got there, Charles bowed and Anne curtsied with a chorus of "Your Majesties" Being members of the nobility they didn't wait for the King to tell them to raise. Jane was the one to break the silence with a "Your Grace" directed at Brandon, then she looked at Anne and as confident as possible said "Lady Boleyn", but the four of them heard the quiver in her voice, she had always felt nervous in Anne's presence, she didn't know what it was about her, but she knew that it wasn't because she had been Queen, for she had known Anne since they were both ladies in waiting to Katherine, and even now that she was Queen she felt the same, there was this confidence to Anne, this courage, that she wished she had. Besides, in a way she had taken Henry from her, she had always criticized her for being a home-wrecker yet sometimes she couldn't help but feel like one herself. She didn't delude herself in thinking that she had been the sole reason for Henry and Anne's divorce, sometimes she thought that if it hadn't been her Henry would've still married someone else, and she didn't exactly told him to leave his wife, but still she sometimes felt guilty simply because she _was_ the one with Henry, not someone else.

Edward was in Jane's arms, he turned to her and with a surprised expression asked "Mama, you know Nan?"

Jane couldn't help but wonder if Edward called her that because he couldn't say 'Anne' or because he felt comfortable enough with her to use the term of endearment, she hoped that it was the first one. After thinking for a few seconds about how to answer, Jane said "Of course my darling child, she is Elizabeth's mother" she conveniently left out that Anne was Henry's previous wife, either way, Edward was too young to be confused with stuff like that.

He answered with a small "Oh" of understanding and followed up with "Nan promised to tell me the story of King Arthur today, can we hear it mama?"

Jane looked at Anne for confirmation, not that she didn't believe her son, she was waiting for Anne to signal her if she was willing to do it. She knew that being the Queen she could command her to do anything, but she felt that she needed to know if Anne was okay with it all. Anne nodded at her with a gentle smile directed at Edward and Jane said "Of course darling, let's go seat" she set him on the floor and looked at Henry, who turned to Charles and asked "Well Your Grace, what do you think if I join you and Elizabeth in playing with Bo?"

Charles smiled and gave him the ball he was using before to throw at the dog, Henry smirked and bent down to Elizabeth's level to finish up Charles work in teaching her how to throw better.

Anne and Jane walked towards the bench and sat, Edward sat in the middle of them, but with Jane's arm around him, they both turned in their seat to look at Anne who began telling Edward the story that had been her favorite as a child. Jane could see the way Anne's eyes shined as she spoke, she made astonished faces at the most exciting parts and smiled sadly at the tragic ones, making it more entertaining for Edward. Right then and there Jane started seeing Anne in a different light, she had not expected her to treat her son like this, but it was a pleasant surprise. Seeing that Anne was more than kind to her son she relaxed and focused in the story, halfway through it she was as engrossed as Edward.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth had decided to stop throwing the ball and was running behind Bo with a huge smile on her face. Charles and Henry were watching her when Henry turned to look at Charles and said "You did not tell me you were coming to Hatfield today, we could've made the trip together" Charles knew what Henry was doing, he knew that Henry _knew_ that he had left court the day before, not today. So he maintained his façade and calmly answered "Oh no Your Majesty, I went yesterday to Pembroke and escorted Lady Anne here" looking straight to Elizabeth, he couldn't let his eyes betray him at the mention of Anne's name.

Henry nodded and said "I see" he resumed looking at Elizabeth and after a few seconds added "You and Anne seem to be very close" Neither of them missed the way Henry's voice changed when he said Anne's name, nor did Charles miss Henry's lack of title when talking about Anne, the familiarity of it made him jealous.

Charles knew what Henry was implying, anyone with ears knew what Henry was implying. But he couldn't acknowledge it, it would confirm whatever theories Henry had in mind about his relationship with Anne. He refused to play that game, so he said "She is good company outside of court, you know I don't have many friends in the countryside"

Henry's reply was a cold toned "You never needed to have friends in the countryside"

Charles noted how Henry said 'friends' with disdain, but before he could respond Lady Bryan appeared asking for the King's permission to take Elizabeth and Edward to their lessons, even if their parents were there the kids still had to take their lessons, they were royal children. And it gave the parents time to relax before a new round of games.

Henry and Charles made their way to Anne and Jane just in time to hear Anne promising Edward that she would finish telling him the story later. Just after Lady Bryan left with the two kids Henry turned to look at his former wife and with his ever charming smile said "Lady Anne, will you join me for a walk? I haven't seen these gardens in a while"

A/N: What did you guys think? I'm not entirely happy with this chapter but I had to get it out of the way. I'm not going to lie, Henry was hard to write and there are still many layers left to uncover. I want to make these characters as three-dimensional as possible, that's why I tend to write a lot about their thoughts, if you want less of that and more dialogue let me know. Also, Jane's not a main character but I felt like she deserved to have a mind of her own, so you'll be seeing a little bit of what goes on in her head. I know I haven't written enough Charles and Anne so that's coming, along with the awaited Anne and Henry reunion. Wow, I'm a rambler. Until next time my loves!


	3. No Longer Married

A/N: My loves! **Thank you, thank you, thank you!** The love this story has gotten is incredible. I'll never be able to thank you enough. I'll respond to those who asked questions or made requests, but you're all very, very, very important to me!

 **Giovanna Leblanc:** Thank you for your input! I'll definitely try to add more dialogue then. Right now there are a lot of thoughts that need to get out of the way, but I hope to add more dialogue once the action starts.

 **QueenAnneTudor:** Yes, I'm going for a more aware Jane, having her alive allows me to play more with her involvement in everything. You certainly have a point regarding Edward and Anne ;)

 **Renata:** I'm trying to subtly show the differences between Anne and Jane, I'm glad you noticed that! I think Jane would've been taught how to do all those "women's duties" like sewing and embroidering, whereas Anne also had an academic education. And yes, you'll be seeing quite a bit of Henry and his selfishness.

 **Keisha:** I hear you! ;)

Now that that's out of the way it's time for the second chapter! I hope this one is to your liking, please keep letting me know what you think, I love hearing from you!

 _ **Solitude of Love**_

"Tell him yes. Even if you are dying of fear, even if you are sorry later, because whatever you do, you will be sorry the rest of your life if you say no." Gabriel Garcí a Márquez

 **Chapter 2**

Charles, Jane and Anne had been in court long enough to know how to mask their reactions at Henry's question, but neither of them were as collected as they seemed. Charles struggled to keep himself from rolling his eyes, he had known Henry since they were children and he knew that Henry wanted everything to himself, and like a kid, if he watched someone else playing with his discarded toy, he wanted it again. Besides, he had seen how he had looked at Anne while greeting Elizabeth, add that to his 'You and Anne seem very close' and you got the winning formula, Henry was jealous and wanted Anne to himself.

For Jane it wasn't that clear, at first she thought that Henry was just being polite, but then looking at the way he smiled at Anne she realized that there was more to it, a tiny part of her got excited, maybe he was trying to make her jealous! But then reality sunk in, she knew it was likely that he was doing it to threaten her, to show her that he still could have any woman he wanted, and she wasn't safe even from his previous wife. She knew she needed to get pregnant again, soon, she had understood his comments on the way to Hatfield about the many rooms the household had, and to be honest, she had always been a little scared of her husband. It didn't cross her mind the thought that maybe Henry was really awed by Anne again and that proving a point to her, his wife and Queen, was nowhere in his mind. She knew that he no longer loved Anne, he wouldn't have divorced her if he still did, right?

Anne was surprised, but she had always prepared herself for this sort of situation, she knew Henry wasn't going to treat her badly, they had ended things on relatively good terms. Of course, at first he was hesitant to grant her the divorce, but once he convinced himself that she had asked just because he wanted to end their marriage and she wanted to please him, and therefore that he had been the one to leave her, he seemed more than happy to sign the papers. So she smiled and said "Of course Your Majesty, the gardens are more beautiful this time of the month" She conveniently ignored the alarm that went off in her head at the look in Henry's eyes, she stood up and linked her arm through his.

When they were a few steps away from Jane and Charles, Henry turned to her and said "I've been hearing only good stuff about your involvement with the people of Pembroke"

Anne smiled, she felt proud of what she had accomplished in her time away from court. She had won a little battle over Cromwell, after the divorce she was granted control of the religious houses in the territory, and she was allowed to do with them whatever she wanted. Truth to herself, she had made schools out of them, it wasn't a secret to anyone that she was one of the richest women in the Kingdom, having married and then divorced Henry had meant her financially wellbeing, and she was determined to put some of the money for good use. Of course, she still spent on fashion and on toys and dresses for Elizabeth, but she had much left, and she felt good providing an education to the less fortunate.

"Thank you, since we turned the monasteries into schools a lot of people have been benefitting from a good education, we're teaching them how to read and write and we've been introducing them to the new ways of the church, they seem to embrace it, especially now that some of them can read the bible themselves and talk to their families about it. They're really good people, once a month we give fabrics to the women and they sew clothes for the rest of the workers, especially for the poorer ones. I hope that's fine with Your Majesty" She knew that if the King didn't approve of what she was doing she would have to stop. But he sounded proud when he talked about her good job, and she knew that he benefited from her work too, so she only asked if it was okay to maintain the formality of it all.

Henry was impressed, he had heard that the people of Pembroke were happy with Anne, but he did not expect all of this from her. Well, really, he did, he expected this and more, she had always been smart and resourceful, she also really believed in the reform, he knew she didn't do it just so that he could divorce Katherine, she had this fire inside of her when it came to religious matters, he loved that about her "Anne, call me Henry. I think it's exceptional what you're doing, I'm glad to hear that the people are truthfully accepting the way things are now. We did this for them too"

Neither of them could help but feel nostalgic for the days of their courtship, when they spent hours talking about the reform, discussing books, talking about what they wanted to do. Then it seemed like they were on the brink of ruling the world, they had felt so full of hope, they would get married and England would change for the better. Talking about this now felt wrong. Yes, Henry was head of the Church of England, but they were no longer married, the rest of the monasteries had been destroyed a few months ago. The only trace of success in the countryside was in Pembroke and in those places where people didn't have enough education to understand what was really happening, Cromwell had even told him a few days ago about some sort of rebellion in the North, it seemed that everything had been for nothing.

Forcing herself not to think about the past Anne replied "Thank you, I'm glad too"

Henry was brought out of his own thoughts about the past by her answer, he decided not to keep talking about the subject, so he moved to a topic that was intriguing him more, looking at her to catch her reaction he said "I couldn't help but notice that Edward seems very close to you"

Anne's smile at the mention of his son's name was genuine, she turned to him and said "He is the sweetest child, you should be proud of him. I visit Elizabeth often and once I met him I was charmed, ever since, every time I come here I play with the both of them and tell them stories. I knew you and Jane weren't going to be able to come as often as I can, and you _know_ Lady Bryan really isn't all that fun" At this, they both laughed, many times Henry had acted bewildered or frightened behind the governess' back once she left with Elizabeth to her lessons, Anne had never laughed as hard as when he did that. Lady Bryan was the best woman to take care of their daughter and her education, but she was boring, and she could be scary if she wanted to.

After their laughing ceased, they looked at each other and smiled, maybe they could still have good memories of their time together. Henry was really grateful to Anne for the way she behaved with his son and he let her know "Jane and I appreciate it, you're right about Lady Bryan, but I think Edward has softened her"

Anne smiled and said "He has that quality to him, you can't help but love him. Elizabeth absolutely adores him"

Henry kept looking at her as she talked about their daughter and bluntly said "I'm restarting negotiations for her betrothal to one of Francis' sons" In reality, he hadn't even thought about it, but seeing Anne talking about his son and Elizabeth, his Princess, he knew that it was time to do something. It was perfect, a French alliance benefitted him and Anne had always wanted Elizabeth to marry a French prince. He wanted to please her, he hadn't really thought about her during these years, he had resented her for a very long time, he had loved her too much, and their last year was one he didn't want to remember. But now, he was married to his sweet Jane, he had his son, Mary had taken the oath, Elizabeth was happy, and it was time to bring Anne back into his life. He was going to talk to Cromwell as soon as they returned.

Anne's surprise showed on her face. When they were married, Francis seemed reluctant to accept the validity of their union, and of Elizabeth's legitimacy, so negotiations for a betrothal never came to fruition. But now it made sense, they had been divorced for a few years, Elizabeth was second in line to the throne and Catherine was dead. Anne smiled and told him "Thank you very much"

She didn't have to say more, they both knew what it meant to her that he was willing to do that, especially after all they went through. They kept walking in silence, thinking of how far they had come, from being madly in love to each other, to being divorced for years and talking as if nothing had happened, yet knowing that it all had been real.

Anne had grown these last years, being in the countryside you really had time to think and reflect on other's actions and on your own, she knew she had behaved badly many times, she had grown paranoid and jealous, love had done that to her. She had learned not to give her all, she had learned to be happy with herself, she was no longer the girl who had an answer for everything, well, she still _had_ an answer for everything, but she thought things through, she tried to act wisely. In short, she had learned to protect herself. But when she thought about her relationship with Henry right know, she couldn't help but think of Charles too, she had been seeing traces of Henry in Charles, but now she realized that there were also traces of Charles in Henry, a long life friendship did that to people. Their attitude resembled that of the other in certain aspects, Charles was as passionate and as fearless as her former husband, but he wasn't as power hungry, nor as fickle as Henry. And she craved that sort of stability, she didn't know if it was the calm of the countryside, but she felt happy when she was with Charles, he made her laugh, she felt content with him, comfortable. They had their fights, they were both passionate people, but their relationship wasn't plagued with the danger that engulfed her relationship with Henry. With Charles she felt safe, but she also felt alive, she felt a fire igniting inside of her whenever she was with him, it scared her, but she couldn't stay away from it.

Being here with Henry felt strange, things between them felt _fine_ , maybe that's what happened when you divorced someone, you became civil to each other, you didn't have to fight for stupid things, you didn't owe anything to the other. She didn't expect to feel like this when she saw him again, when she imagined this day, she thought that she would yell at him, that they would fight about their broken marriage, about Jane, but nothing of the sort happened, she let herself walk with him and she felt he was a stranger to her, yet she knew that they didn't need to say it to know that they both felt the same. It was a strange sense of familiarity, but somehow it worked for them.

They had walked around two of the fountains and were on their way back to the castle, they had walked for about 30 minutes and Henry wanted to talk to his children's tutors before their lessons were over. When they reached the castle, Madge and Nan were waiting for their mistress, they had moved with Anne to Pembroke to serve her, and they were as happy as her, Nan was just glad to be away from the dangers of court, and Madge enjoyed walking through the markets and meeting people, life was perfect for them. When they saw the King approaching, they both curtsied until Henry spoke "Mistress Shelton, Mistress Saville, please rise, how pleasant to see you around here. Tell me, where did my Queen go?"

They both smiled at him out of respect, they remembered very well all the things he had done, and their loyalty resided only with their Mistress, but he was still the King. Nan was the one to answer him "Your Majesty, I believe the Queen went to lie down"

Anne could see Henry getting angry at Jane not waiting for him, like he thought a dutiful wife ought to, so she spoke up and said "I'm sure the trip was tiring for her, it's good that she's resting" Although she was speaking to Nan, from the corner of her eye she saw him start to calm down. Henry realized that Anne was probably right, they had been gone for quite some time and Jane got easily tired. He looked at her and said "It was a pleasure walking with you. I'm going to watch the kids with their tutors, I'll see you after they're done with their lessons"

Anne's answer was a simply "Of course, it was a pleasure for me as well"

As Henry left, he heard Anne say to Madge "Please fetch Charles for me" _Charles_ , not Brandon, not Suffolk, _Charles_. He had meant to ask her about him, but he knew she was ether going to take the route Charles had taken and say they were friends, or she was going to tell him to stay out of her life, he didn't really know how this Anne would react. That's why he preferred to keep quiet and observe how she behaved around him. Maybe he should've done the same with Charles, now he had made the mistake of warning him that he knew about them, the element of surprise was lost, but he couldn't contain himself at the moment, he would just have to wait and see what happened.

A/N: My loves! You guessed it, I'm having the Pilgrimage of Grace happen a few years after it historically did, you'll see more of that later. Also, I know the story is moving slow right now, but I have to get all these feelings and thoughts out of the way so we can move on to more exciting things, and don't be fooled, many things happening now are going to have an impact on later chapters. Next chapter is all about Anne and Charles (Finally!) See you then, I hope to update soon, I want to get to the goodies!


	4. Her Happiness Was His

A/N: Once again, I'm blown away by the support this has gotten, I never thought it would come to this. **Thank you so much!** I'll never get tired of saying it! Also, I loved your reactions when I said that this chapter was all about Anne and Charles, you guys are awesome.

 **Kate322:** Hi! Thank you so much! George and Papa Boleyn will definitely make an appearance in later chapters, count on it.

 **Giovanna Leblanc:** Hi babe! I was so happy to open my mail and see your review! Hahaha. You'd like to see Jane jealous? Well, that's coming in later chapters. Love you too!

 **MaeganMarie:** I loved your review, you cracked me up with the "No Henry hate, just you know, common sense" I swear I had to screenshot it! Hahaha. But yes, I agree with you and that's coming.

 **QueenAnneTudor:** I'm wondering the same, these characters have a mind of their own.

 **Renata:** Not necessarily, that's just the way Charles sees it. Those thoughts are coming too!

 **Dracoqueen:** Yes, I feel the same way about Anne. Nice suggestion! I'll keep it in mind.

 _ **Solitude of Love**_

"Tell him yes. Even if you are dying of fear, even if you are sorry later, because whatever you do, you will be sorry the rest of your life if you say no." Gabriel Garcí a Márquez

 **Chapter 3**

Once Anne and Henry had left, Jane excused herself to go lie down, for the journey had been tiring for her. Charles wanted to stay and wait for the former spouses, but he too decided against it and went to the chambers he was staying at in Hatfield, he spent the time writing a letter to his son who was currently in Suffolk Manor, he planned on visiting him in the following weeks and wanted to know if he needed something. He was finishing the letter when Madge appeared at his doorstep and told him that Anne requested his presence in the gardens. When he got there she was waiting for him in the bench were she had sat with Jane and Edward before, as he approached her he couldn't help but smile, she looked so beautiful just sitting there, his smile got wider when she noticed his presence, beamed at him and patted the seat next to her, when he sat she told him "Tell me Your Grace, did you expect today to be as eventful as it has been?"

He laughed and said "But my Lady, if it's just getting started!"

She just had to laugh back, they knew that with Henry this was nothing, it was still quite early in the day and anything could happen in the next hours. But her smile faded when she remembered something, and with a puzzled, yet knowing expression she told him "I saw you two talking while I was with Edward and Jane, you seemed upset, what did he say to you?"

Damn it, she knew him too well, he knew Henry wouldn't notice his reaction to their conversation, but he should've known Anne would, he didn't want to say anything to her yet, in part because it meant touching the subject of their relationship and they didn't talk about that, they knew why he had divorced Catherine, they knew what they felt for the other, but they had an unspoken agreement of enjoying the other's company and leave it that. Also, he didn't want to tell her because he was afraid she would feel happy to know that Henry was jealous of them, he just couldn't convince himself that Anne was over Henry, he had seen them together for 10 years, theirs had been the love affair that changed England, she wouldn't stop loving Henry just like that, and he couldn't lose her, he loved her too much. So he decided to not say anything, besides, God willing, this would be the last time she and Henry saw each other. He gave her a reassuring smile and said "Oh nothing, he was just telling me more about the uprising in the North"

Actually, Henry had only mentioned the issue when he told him about it the first time, a few days ago, and Charles had mentioned it to Anne on their way to Hatfield, Anne completely forgot about it while she was talking with Henry, not that she would've said anything, but the rebellion could explain why he seemed so pleased with her job in Pembroke, she knew that an uprising was a dangerous threat to the Crown, but a tiny part of her felt like gloating, she had told Cromwell that it was far better to put those religious houses to good use, but he had to go and destroy them and fill his and Henry's pockets, and now here they were. As good as Cromwell was handling the State affairs, his hunger for power and gold got the best of him and she had warned him about it, but instead of listening to her, he decided to destroy her, he had been a fool, he deserved what was coming his way.

Anne remembered her conversation with Henry and said "Well, speaking of that, he praised me for my job in Pembroke, he said that he felt glad the people were truthfully accepting the way things are now. I guess that shows the failure that was destroying the monasteries"

Charles smiled, they had talked about her fights with Cromwell regarding what to do with the religious houses and he had sided with her, but not because they were friends, in fact, at the time they pretty much hated each other. He remembered that day very well.

 _They were in the gardens of Pembroke a chilly November afternoon and the subject of the reform had come up, they had been throwing hateful comments at each other for a while, when he said "Why did you even request to be in charge of Pembroke's religious houses? Don't trust Cromwell's integrity to pay you the money he surely must owe you for convincing Henry to destroy them all?"_

 _She had to make a huge effort not to slap him. Instead, she stopped walking, tried to breathe, and with venom in her voice, yet as controlled as she could, said "Your Grace, don't be naive. His Majesty is no fool and if you think that I have influenced his decisions you are more stupid than I thought you were, the things he does are his choice only, I wouldn't be here if it weren't like that. Also, you should know Cromwell is the real scum here, not me, after all, you are friends with him, are you not?" She turned around to leave, but at the last second she grinned maliciously at him and said "On your way out, walk through the town and ask the workers at the monasteries what are they doing"_

 _Trust Anne Boleyn to bark orders while walking away and dismissing him. He did what she told him to do out of pure curiosity an annoyance, but he did not expect to hear one of the workers tell him that they were turning the establishments into schools. He went back to her castle and they talked all afternoon, like civil people, about her plans. Later that day, when it was time for him to leave, he felt angry at himself for feeling apprehensive, he couldn't believe he had enjoyed hearing her ideas. In his state of confusion he left without saying goodbye, the next time he visited she teased him for that and he accompanied her to Hatfield. Since that day their relationship started to get better._

"I'm sure Cromwell must been thinking of you quite bit then" He replied.

Anne's amusement showed on her face at the thought, she smiled widely and raised her eyebrows before saying "I wish I could see his face right now"

Charles smiled, but then shifted in his seat and without looking at her asked "Do you miss court?" It was not the first time he asked that question, she always said she didn't, that she was happier away from it all and that she had spent her whole life in court be it in England or in France, unlike the rest of the English women who spent their childhood and teens in their family's states, and now it was her turn to live in the countryside. But he still had to ask, he had known her since she was a Lady in Waiting to Katherine and she was made for a life in court, she acted like a woman but had the mind of a man, the fact that she had a peerage in her own right proved it, he knew that Henry didn't give her the title of Marquess just because he wanted to marry her, he thought she deserved it too. He didn't give Jane any title other than that of his wife and Queen because he didn't think her capable of being anything more than a son bearer, one would think that he didn't grant her a peerage in fear of her becoming like Katherine or Anne, but it was a naïve though, Jane would never be like her predecessors. However, aside from the fact that she was meant to be in court, Charles had other, more personal, reasons for wanting her answer to be 'yes', he wanted her to go to court with him, he couldn't stand being away from her for so long, the trip to Pembroke was a long one, he couldn't just leave whenever he wanted to see her and he couldn't stay with her for the amount of time he desired, if she lived at court they could see each other every day, they could dance, dine, play cards, walk through the gardens, they could do anything whenever they wanted. He longed for that. When he was younger he tried to stay out of politics as much as he could, he preferred riding, jousting and taking beautiful ladies to his bed. But now he was a member of the Privy Council, he had responsibilities, and even if the court was still full of life, given the choice, he would stay with Anne, his life was dull without her, he didn't take women to his bed anymore, they weren't her, he wanted only her company.

Anne thought about her answer for a while, she too directed her gaze someplace else, she knew why Charles was asking, he wanted her to go with him, and she wanted to spend every day with him too, but she just couldn't bring herself to say 'yes' she still remembered her days at court, how sad she had been, how they all whispered mean comments about her, how she never felt safe, she had to struggle and fight everyday of her life, she couldn't even trust her own husband, she was so powerful that everyone wanted to bring her down, yet she wasn't powerful enough to not feel threatened by it. So she finally answered "In moments like these I do, but I've learned that in court, the same crowd that applauds your coronation will applaud your beheading, and they didn't even applaud my coronation. I know I'm hated Charles and I've been perfectly content not having to worry about my life every waking second"

Charles looked at her and grabbed her little hand in his, making her look at him, and said "Anne, that was 3 years ago, they no longer want to destroy you, they have nothing to lose if you come back, all that happened is in the past now, Henry is married to Jane and he has a son, the rest doesn't matter"

Anne frowned, sighed and said "That doesn't change the fact that they still hate me Charles, they think, like you did, that all Henry did was because I asked him to and that I did it for my personal advantage. They thought me more powerful than I really was and they haven't forgotten that, for many supporters of Katherine I was the reason she and Mary suffered so much, for many Catholics it's my fault the way things are now. I'm not saying I was completely innocent, you know that, but it wasn't entirely my fault and they think it was"

Charles knew she was right but that didn't mean that she was in danger, he hated that she was afraid of what might happen to her if she came back, he softened his eyes, but with the same force as before said "But it's not a secret to anyone that, for better or for worse, you will always be remembered, you played an important role in Christendom's religion and politics for a very long time. Men craved the power and the intelligence you had, and women wanted your charms and looks, there's nothing you can do about it, it's who you are. Besides, you have done an incredible job in Pembroke, the people love you, they respect you and admire you like never before, you have their support and you never had that"

Anne let go of his hand rather harshly, stood up, and with an exasperated tone while moving her arms around said "And that's exactly why the courtiers would want to destroy me again if I came back, don't you see? it's worse that I have the people's support, they'll feel threatened" She turned around, took a breath, and almost hissing continued "Besides, we both know the rumors about my involvement in your divorce from Catherine" in a mocking tone she made an impression of a noblewoman gasping and saying "The whore Anne Boleyn got rid of 2 Catherine's in less than 10 years, what does she do to men?"

Charles stood up, grabbed her shoulders and looking into her eyes said "Anne, calm down! Why do you care so much about what people think? You have me!"

They both knew that he meant that he was going to be there to protect her, but Anne was done with _needing_ someone to protect her, that's why she stayed in the countryside, there she didn't need protection. And, after all, Charles had always been a womanizer, maybe he was like Henry, maybe once he had her he would get tired of her and discard her, and as much as she loved him, she couldn't take that chance. Her mind was reeling. Forcing herself to calm down she thought " _stop it Anne",_ she knew he was not like that, she knew it, but she just couldn't let herself give into what he had to offer, her fear was greater than any other feeling, that's why she kept giving him, and herself, one excuse after the other. She shook her head, looked into his eyes and said "It doesn't even matter, until His Majesty requests my presence at court I can't come back"

Charles went to open his mouth to say that she could always ask Henry to let her return, but he knew she would never do that, and most importantly, he knew that this was just another excuse, so he shut his mouth and dropped his arms at his sides.

If it had been Henry she would've stormed off in her anger and disappointment. But she knew that this was not Charles' fault, it was hers, she couldn't give him what he wanted, what they both wanted, because she was afraid. It was in moments like these that she remembered why she hated Henry, even after the divorce he still wouldn't let her be happy, what he had done haunted her. And Charles didn't deserve that. She went to him, hugged his middle, and hiding her face in his chest she whispered "I'm sorry" in the saddest voice he had ever heard. How could he blame her? He realized he was being selfish, he wanted her to make a decision that terrified her just for his happiness, but how could he be happy if she was afraid? Her happiness was his. He wrapped his arms around her and held her as close as he could. After a little while she let go of him but kept her hands at his hips, he grabbed her cheeks with both of his hands and kissed her forehead.

That was the thing about their relationship, they knew each other. She didn't have to say it for him to understand that she was afraid, and she didn't feel that she needed to hide her feelings from him, he gave her the comfort of feeling that she could be honest with him. Yes, they didn't really talk about what it all meant, about what their feelings meant, but they didn't need to, as long as they were together the rest didn't matter, the future didn't matter, at least not for now.

A/N: Babes, I wanted to post this chapter a few days ago, but I struggled with adding or not a scene that ended up not making the cut. I decided to save it for later, but I'll tell you that I absolutely love it, I definitely want to update soon because I want to get to that chapter. Maybe you'll get another chapter later today or tomorrow morning! Please let me know what you think! I want to make these characters justice.


	5. I Only Want To Be With You

A/N: Babes, you better get used to this. One more time, **thank you so much!** Now, since this technically is the 5th chapter I'm taking it as a milestone, so **something exciting awaits you at the end** , take it as my gift to you for being the best readers in the world! I hope you enjoy. Please tell me your thoughts, I'm really excited for this chapter.

 **Snkannie:** Thank you so much! I'm glad you love it! I'll do my best to fulfill all the expectations.

 **Renata:** ;)

 **Kate322:** I think you're going to like this chapter! Thank you so much for the support, Henry is definitely going to be involved in all of this, we all know him.

 **Giovanna Leblanc:** Omg babe! Thank you so much, you don't know how much it means to me that you love this story so much! I'm so glad, I don't have enough words to thank you. I like the way you think! ;)

 **QuennAnneTudor:** You and Giovanna Leblanc share the same mind? Haha. Nice suggestion, I'd loved that too ;) Ohh, Seymour brothers, let's see what I do with them, I've always found them quite interesting.

 _ **Solitude of Love**_

"Tell him yes. Even if you are dying of fear, even if you are sorry later, because whatever you do, you will be sorry the rest of your life if you say no." Gabriel Garcí a Márquez

 **Chapter 4**

The kids had finished their lessons and Anne and Charles had gone back inside to play with them, when they entered the nursery they noticed that Jane was sitting in a chair watching Henry, who was sitting in the floor playing with the children. Anne immediately went to where they were and kneeled next to the two Princes, she put her arms around each and said "Hello my sweethearts how were your lessons?" Jane couldn't help but shudder when Anne said that. Yes, she was glad that she was nice to her child, but how dare she call her Edward 'her sweetheart'? He was not her son! But then again, she spent more time with him than his own mother did, maybe Edward loved her more. Who knows what she could say to him, surely Henry couldn't be happy with that, she was going to talk to him about it once they were back.

Elizabeth was the first one to answer, she smiled at her mother and said "I practiced Latin and we were going to start reading a book in Italian but Papa said to keep practicing my French, so we started a book in French instead"

Anne knew why he told her tutors to teach her more French, if she was going to marry a prince from France she might as well be as fluent as possible in the language, Elizabeth was already very good in most languages, especially French, but a Royal Child had to be perfect. She looked at Henry and smiled, it was her way of showing her gratitude once again, everything she wanted was for Elizabeth to be happy and live up to her potential, the best option available was to marry her to a French Prince, it also meant that she needed to stay in Henry's good graces if she wanted that to happen, it wouldn't be the first time that he would punish their daughter for her actions, and there was no one in the world she loved more than her baby, so she decided to keep her mouth shut and show herself as grateful as she could, because even if she thought that it was nice of him to still do this after everything that happened, it didn't escape her mind that he should've done it years ago, because she was his daughter too, it shouldn't have mattered who her mother was.

Henry smiled back at her, and Charles and Jane noticed the exchange.

Anne turned once again to Elizabeth and said "I'm glad sweetheart" then she looked at Edward and said "And you Sir? What did you learn today?"

Edward told her excitedly "I wrote!"

The four adults in the room laughed, he had been practicing his writing skills but didn't know how to say it, Anne smiled gently at him and said "That's good! You know a great King needs to know how to read and write"

"A great King like papa!" replied Edward looking at his father with the biggest smile and Henry looked at him with the same smile. In that moment it didn't matter that Jane wasn't pregnant, he had his son, and as Anne said, he was going to be a great King one day.

Anne nodded and agreed "Like your papa" She didn't really think Henry was that great, but he was Edward's hero. She just hoped that, as King, the kid wouldn't be guided by his emotions as much as his father was.

Elizabeth brought her out of her thoughts by saying "Mama, will you finish telling Edward the story of King Arthur? I want to hear too"

Edward instantly agreed "Yes!" and Jane was hurt that he preferred hearing Anne's story than spending time with his parents, she couldn't help but blame Anne, she had done that, she was taking her child from her.

"What if instead of reading you a bedtime story we finish the one of King Arthur and you spend the rest of the day playing with your papa and The Queen?" Anne knew that Henry and Jane had to leave in the morning, whereas she stayed a few days more. The journey from Pembroke was a long one, so she preferred to stay for a few days, she also visited more often than they did. It was only fair that they spent the rest of the day with the children.

Edward just yelled excitedly again "Yes!" He was happy, his mama and his papa were here and Nan and Charles too! He climbed in his mother's lap, while Elizabeth nodded and went to sit with Henry. Anne stood up and went to Charles, who was sitting in a sofa in the back of the room, he smiled at her while she sat next to him, she smiled back almost instantly and without noticing, she felt happy just looking at his handsome face, he gave her a sense of peace that she never felt before. For his part, Charles had enjoyed seeing her interact with Edward and Elizabeth, you could say whatever you wanted about Anne Boleyn, but not that she was a bad mother. He was planning on taking his son to Hatfield the next time he went to Suffolk Manor and meet Anne there, she wanted to meet him properly, she had met him when he was just a kid and she was Queen, but Catherine didn't let him get too close to her. He couldn't help but think of what their children would look like but he pushed the thought to the back of his mind and decided to enjoy her presence instead.

Henry didn't miss the way Anne and Charles smiled at each other, he decided to keep a close eye on them.

Charles looked at Anne and said "That was nice of you" He tried to act surprised but failed miserably, he knew she loved when he behaved like his old self on purpose jus to play with her.

Anne tried not to laugh at his attempt, now that she knew him it was hard to picture his old self, the one that hated her, she replied with mock disdain "Oh, you know that I only do it for my own benefit, that way I don't have to deal with the children" She knew he also loved when she played that game with him and acted as he had imagined her to be. It was crazy how things had changed in just a few years, but they couldn't be happier that they _had_ changed.

He wasn't as strong as her, he ended up laughing at her answer, he now knew that she would never act like that, and it really was funny how she knew that he would've thought something along those lines in the past. She ended up laughing with him, thank God that they were speaking quietly and that where they were sitting Jane and Henry couldn't hear what they were saying.

But Henry had seen the way Anne's eyes shined the minute Charles laughed, she must've said something clever, she always did. He knew their exchange was some sort of banter, the amusement in both their eyes revealed it. How dare Charles do something like this? He was supposed to be _his_ friend, not hers! He was slowly starting to get mad, they had no right, they had hated each other ever since his and Anne's courtship and now they were sitting together laughing? Charles had been more and more absent at court, he was always in Pembroke, damn him, he needed to fulfill his duties to his King, not sneak around whenever he pleased, especially not to visit his former wife. He was going to punish him.

Henry raised his voice loud enough for Anne and Charles to hear him and calmly, as if it was something he had just remembered, said "Charles, I almost forgot, tomorrow we have a very important meeting with the Privy Council but I'm going to be late since Jane and I leave in the morning, you should go to Whitehall and meet with Cromwell so that everything's ready in time and you're up to date with what's happening" Henry never stopped playing with Elizabeth, he said it casually, as if he wasn't telling Charles to leave. Anne and Charles knew that there probably wasn't even a meeting the next day, they had known Henry long enough to know that he was lying through his teeth and what he wanted was for Charles to leave his sight, they had heard that tone many times and Henry usually didn't look at the person he was talking to when he wanted to appear casual. He just looked up at the end of his talk and smiled his usual 'I'm the King and you'll do as I say' smile. And he did just that.

Charles just looked at him and said "of course, Your Majesty. I'll go get my stuff" In reality he wanted to get out of there as soon as possible, if he stayed in that room a second longer his anger was going to show and he couldn't risk angering Henry more, he knew his punishment was only going to be not being able to see Anne. He stood up and went to his apartments.

At first Anne didn't understand why Henry wanted Charles to leave, but then he looked at her and everything made sense, she had felt Henry's eyes on them when he was greeting Elizabeth, but she didn't pay any mind to it, he would've said something to her when they were in the gardens and he didn't, but then she realized that he probably told Charles something, she was stupid to have believed him when he said that they only talked about the rebellion, he wouldn't have looked as troubled as he did if it were only that, besides, he had also looked angry and he was not one to get angry easily, especially not in situations like that, he preferred to think clearly and understand what was happening, he got angry in situations that directly involved his life and his feelings, she should've known. She stood up, looked at Henry and angrily said "excuse me, Your Majesty" she was daring him to refuse her, he knew that look. But he got what he wanted, Charles was angry and Anne was running behind him, they had just proved that they were definitely more than friends, so he nodded, satisfaction written all over his face.

As Anne went through the halls on her way to Charles' apartments, she was thinking that it probably hadn't been the best idea to go after him, Henry would only get angrier at them, though it looked like he was only mad at Charles, when she left she noticed that, towards her, his eyes didn't held the anger that they directed at Charles. But she wasn't going to let Charles leave like that, they needed to talk first and she didn't care what Henry thought, not right now. Right now Charles was more important than what Henry could think or do.

When she entered Charles' apartments he was throwing stuff into his trunk angrily. She went to him and said "Hey! Calm down"

He didn't even look at her, he kept throwing stuff and said "Tell a servant to send this tomorrow in a carriage, I'm horseback riding to Whitehall"

The last time she heard that tone of voice was when he talked about Catherine, his voice was full of venom but it also held defeat in it, he had never directed that tone at her, she knew that he was going to start yelling at any moment and hit a wall if he didn't calm down, so she went to him and grabbed his hands to stop him from grabbing another shirt. He looked up at her and his eyes softened as soon as he met hers, her heart broke and she knew, she smiled sadly at him and said "Henry talked to you about us"

He nodded, but when he remembered what Henry had just done he let go of her hands and his temper flew out the window again, he hissed "Do you know what he said? He said 'you and Anne seem very close', and now he's dismissing me?! He just needs to have everything and now he wants you!"

She couldn't believe Henry had confronted Charles about their relationship, she thought he was over her. But then again, it _was_ Henry, his mind changed every other minute, and he thought that it was his right to have everything he wanted, when he wanted it, same as he thought that he owned everyone. But she suppressed her anger, she could deal with him later, she needed to remain calm for Charles, she looked at him and forcefully said "Will you calm down? This shouldn't surprise you, you know Henry. Besides, he'll probably forget about this in no time"

Charles ignored the last part of her sentence, he started talking before she finished, his tone rising by the minute "That's exactly what's angering me, I should've known this was going to happen"

Anne rolled her eyes at him and with an exasperated tone said "Now you're just being an idiot, we didn't think Henry and I were going to see each other ever again, you couldn't have known"

He turned his back to her angrily and said "Yes, but now he is here and he wants you and…" he stopped himself before he could finish

Anne was starting to get angry, he wasn't making any sense. Well, he was, but he had no reason to feel like that, and if he was really feeling like that then he had to say it, she needed him to say it so he could hear how stupid he sounded "And _what_?"

Charles whispered "And you might want him back"

She sighed "God, Charles" She hated that he felt like that, she had told him many times that never in a million years would she go back to Henry, yet she knew he didn't believe her and she couldn't understand why.

"I noticed the way you looked at him when we were in the nursery, the way you smiled at him" Charles knew he sounded stupid, he knew she thought he sounded stupid, but he couldn't help it, he had witnessed her relationship with Henry, she talked with him about her suffering, he couldn't help but feel that a love like that just didn't go away.

Anne really didn't have that much patience, she threw her arms around and hissed "Yes, because he told me that he's starting negotiations for a betrothal between Elizabeth and one of Francis' sons!"

God, he _was_ an imbecile, but he loved her, he couldn't lose her, not to Henry. That's why his temper and his jealousy got the best of him, he hated himself for that. He sat in the only chair in the room and put his head in his hands "I'm sorry, it's just that…"

She knew what he was getting at, he didn't need to tell her for her to know that he felt insecure. It had happened before, but the other way around.

 _They had been fighting about his behavior, he had been closed off during his time in Pembroke, he almost didn't talk to her and when he did he seemed distracted, she had confronted him about it, she had told him that if he was going to act like that then he better stay at court, she particularly yelled at him "Go back to court, go back to her! And don't bother coming back here"_

 _In that moment he understood, she thought that he had been thinking about Catherine, he had made the mistake of mentioning her in a conversation and now she was jealous, she though he wanted to go back so he could be with her. He smiled, she was being silly, he grabbed her hips and said "Anne, I only want to be with you"_

She kneeled in front of him, took his hands in hers and said "Charles, I only want to be with you" They both smiled remembering the time he had spoken those words, a few months later he and Catherine were divorced. She kissed his hands and stood up, she started folding the rest of his shirts and after a few minutes said "Oh, and you're not riding all the way to Whitehall, you're going in a carriage"

Looking at her standing there, packing his clothes for the journey, worried about him making a trip he had done many times before and forbidding him to do it, he realized that he _had_ to say what he had been feeling for some time now, he couldn't keep it to himself any longer, he knew they didn't talk about their relationship, but he couldn't leave without telling her, she had to know. He breathed "Anne" and held his hand out for her to take. Once she walked the distance with a confused look on her face and grabbed it, he squeezed the little hand in his and said "I love you"

He didn't know what to expect from her, he didn't really expect anything, he just had to get it out of his chest. But he certainly didn't expect her to smile widely at him, look down and then look back up at him with amusement and almost laughing say "It took you quite some time"

She couldn't believe he had said it, she knew he felt like that, but hearing it was another thing completely. He had told her he _loved_ her. She could dance from joy! She thought that after Henry she wouldn't have another chance at love, and she was fine with that, she didn't want to have her heart broken again, but then Charles entered her life and even if it scared her she couldn't deny this to herself, the happiness of loving and being loved. She had grown and she had learned, she was definitely more careful, but she wasn't going to close herself off completely from the possibilities, it was not in her nature.

His face broke out into a huge grin, he pulled her by the hand until she ended up sitting in his lap with his arms around her waist. Once there, she grabbed his face with both of her hands and said "I know because I've loved _you_ for a while now" emphasizing the 'you' to let him know that she loved only him, no one else.

He was the one to kiss her.

A/N: I know! I'm dying too! That was not planned, I wanted to give you something for the 5th chapter, but I assure you this wrote itself. I don't know what happens with this story but I can't plan it, I just sit down to write and things like this happen! What did you think?


	6. I Love You

A/N: Babes! I've had the busiest week and I have an even busier one ahead, but I couldn't leave you without an update. I really don't have time to answer individually to your reviews, but I promise next chapter I will. I loved your response! I loved that you guys were as excited as I was, our babies kissed yaaaay! Once again, **Thank you so so so so much for the support, you're the best readers this girl could wish for!** I hope you enjoy this chapter!

 _ **Solitude of Love**_

"Tell him yes. Even if you are dying of fear, even if you are sorry later, because whatever you do, you will be sorry the rest of your life if you say no." Gabriel Garcí a Márquez

 **Chapter 5**

They separated after a while, gasping for air, Anne tangled her fingers through his hair and caressed it softly, the other hand that was on his face now rested on his chest, while he had moved one of his hands up to cup her cheek. The world could've been ending outside their window and they wouldn't have noticed. Suddenly, she laughed and said "If I had known you kissed like that I would've done it much sooner"

Charles acted offended at her comment and said "My lady, are you saying that you only want me for my kisses?"

She pulled his face to her and kissed him again, then shrugged her shoulders and said "Perhaps, I guess you'll never now"

He had to laugh at her antics, but then he pretended to act serious and said "I guess I'll have to make you love me, because…" He kissed her forehead and said "I love you" then he kissed her nose and followed up with another "I love you, and…" he kissed her on the lips and finished up with "I love you" They shared a few tender kisses before she laid her head on the crook of his neck, his hands were resting on her hips again, hugging her as close to him as possible, while one of her arms was around his back and the other rested on his heart. They stayed like that for a while, hearing each other breath, enjoying the few moments they had before he had to leave.

Anne felt dizzy, his kisses were like nothing she had felt before. They were full of passion, but they were tender, sweet, filled with nothing but love. Her kisses with Henry were passionate too, but they were dangerous, rough, filled with love and hate. Kissing Henry had felt like going on a trip to a land far away. Kissing Charles felt like coming home. He was everything she wanted, whereas Henry had been everything she thought she needed and that destroyed her. Now she knew that she wanted Charles but she could live without him, she just didn't want to, and that was what scared her, she didn't want to spend another day without him, but if she _could,_ it meant that he could too. She thought that maybe Margaret had been to him what Henry had been to her, the tumultuous love of his youth, the love that drove him crazy, the love that he regretted but would live all over again if given the chance. She feared that he too felt that he could live without her, she feared that they would miss those fiery loves of their past. Yes, she craved the stability that Charles had to offer, and she knew he felt that she was a breath of fresh air, of normalcy, in the midst of the chaos of court, but was that enough for two passionate souls as theirs? She honestly didn't know. She also realized how long it took them to get to this point, maybe, just maybe, if she and Henry never got married, they would've met and fell in love sooner. Not that she regretted Elizabeth or her marriage, she had loved Henry, and she cherished her happiest memories with him, but a part of her couldn't help but wonder about another life, another life in which things were different with Charles. Yet she was thankful that in this life she wasn't denied the chance of being with him, everything she wanted had always been right in front of her and she thanked God that she was given the opportunity to see it.

Charles had not felt this happy in years, not even when he was with Margaret, he had loved her, but he had been young and took her for granted, not that she had been a saint, God knew it, but he could've behaved better, that's why he married Catherine, he thought that maybe he could right his wrongs to Margaret with her, but life didn't work like that. Instead, he had the chance of getting to know Anne and she was everything he wanted. He didn't know if, given the chance, he would've fell in love with her before, not only because of her personality, but because of his. Now, they had grown, she was no longer the girl who wanted to marry a King, and he was no longer the boy who wanted to marry a King's sister. Maybe that's why they were perfect for each other, they had crossed paths at just the right time.

What they didn't know was that Henry had sent a servant to spy on them and he heard them, for Anne had forgotten to close the door completely once she went to Charles' rooms. When he saw them kissing he immediately went to the nursery to inform the King, once he got there Henry excused himself and went outside to talk with him. When the lad stood still without saying anything Henry told him "Well boy, what is it?" he was starting to lose his temper, if this boy had made him stand and leave the room for nothing he was going to be punished.

The servant, named Thomas, didn't know how to say to the King what he had heard and seen, he really didn't want to be on the receiving end of the famous Tudor tantrum. But he knew that he had to tell him, he mustered as much courage as he could and said "Your Majesty, I… I heard His Grace, The Duke of Suffolk telling The Marquess of Pembroke that he loved her. The Lady said it back and they kissed, Your Majesty"

Henry went speechless and his face paled. Charles loved her, which really didn't surprise him, Anne could make anyone fall in love with her. But, _she_ loved _him_? Charles Brandon? She was supposed to love only him, her former husband. He still loved her, but he had to divorce her, she couldn't give him a son! If she had fulfilled her promise they'd still be married. He needed to find a way to win her back, she belonged to him. Charles didn't deserve her. Just as he was deciding what to do, the couple that was causing all this trouble appeared in the hallway, Charles was the one to speak "Your Majesty, I'm leaving now. I'm going to bid my goodbyes to their Highnesses and to Her Majesty, The Queen"

Henry had to control himself not wipe the smile of that son of a bitch's face with a punch. All the anger that he showed when he was dismissed was no longer there, his face was that of a kid who had eaten the last piece of cake, it showed utter happiness, but there was also a hint of victory in his expression. He just nodded and signaled to the door. As Charles went inside, he turned to look at Anne, she was glowing, she was trying to remain neutral, but he knew her, she was about to burst from joy, the light in her eyes and the smile at the corners of her lips betrayed her, and Charles had done that. He wanted to send them both to the block. But no, he intended to win Anne back and show Charles that he was who she truly loved. Besides, he preferred to think that Anne wanted him but since she couldn't have him she settled for second best, his best friend. He put on his most charming smile and said "My lady, I forgot to tell you before, but you look absolutely beautiful. When I saw you I was reminded of the day we met" He knew that that was going to get her, for no matter what she said, Anne was a sentimental at heart, he knew she had memories that were sacred to her, and that of the day they met was one of them.

But she knew what he was playing at, she had known the man for 10 years and he hadn't changed a bit. Now that she knew what he had told Charles and how she had seen the way he looked at her when she left the nursery, she knew not to fall for the trap, but saying that to his face wouldn't work, he would just want her more, so she decided to act indifferent, kind, clueless. After all, he didn't know her anymore, it had been 3 years, for all he knew she was no longer the ambitious player she had been when they met. He wanted the feisty Anne of their courtship? She was going to give him an attitude that instead resembled that of Jane Seymour's and since he seemed at odds with his wife he would dislike her too. Henry had always wanted what was different, now that he was tiring of his Queen he wanted his former one, but she wouldn't give it to him. She smiled sweetly and said "You are far too kind, Majesty. But I'm afraid I'm no longer as young and beautiful as I once was"

Henry caressed her cheek, laughed and said "Anne, you could be a hundred years old and you'd still be the most beautiful woman in the room"

If he had told her those words 3 years ago she would've felt like the luckiest woman alive, but now she understood that she wanted him to treat her like that because it meant her safety, it was sad really, how desperately she needed him to acknowledge her, to even say a word to her, because she feared for her life if he didn't. At the time, she didn't know if he had changed since she met him or if he had always been like that, but now she knew that he was like that, when he wanted you he was capable of going to the last corner of the earth for your happiness, but when he wanted to get rid of you he wouldn't stop at anything to make it happen. He had done it to Catherine, God knows what he could've done to her if she hadn't asked for the divorce, and Jane was safe only because she had given him a son, but her time was running out, Henry always wanted more. But it was enough, she wasn't going to let him play more games, she grabbed his hand that was on her cheek, removed it, but kept it in hers and, as innocently as she could, replied "I think a compliment like that should be for a Queen's ears only" the hidden meaning of her answer didn't escape him, but as he was going to respond, Charles appeared in the hallway again. As soon as he stood in front of the former spouses, he felt the tension that filled the air, he wanted to get Anne out of there and take care of Henry himself, but he knew his attempts were going to be fruitless, as much as Anne had changed during these last years, she still did whatever she wanted, when she wanted, and if she wanted to fight Henry herself, nothing was going to change her mind. Besides, if he feared for anyone's safety it was Henry's, Anne could be the cruelest person in the world if she wanted to.

He nodded at Henry and said "Your Majesty, I'll see you at court tomorrow"

Henry wanted him out of his sight, he noticed the way Anne let go of his hand and relaxed when he came out the door and it repulsed him. He harshly pointed his arm towards the end of the hall without saying a word. Anne rolled her eyes, he was so childish sometimes, she turned to Charles and sweetly said "Your Grace, let me accompany you to your carriage" She needed to say goodbye to him alone. Besides, if they acted coldly towards each other Henry was going to know that it was an act, he had already made it clear that he at least knew that they were closer than they had ever been. Charles caught the drift and instead of refusing politely, as any other gentlemen would've done, or instead of treating her coldly, as he would've done years before, he did what a simple friend would've, he said "My Lady" and held his arm out for her to link hers through it.

Henry almost told her to stay, but he remembered that the view from his rooms' windows allowed him to see them as they said their goodbyes, so he stormed off in the direction of his chambers. Once he was out of earshot, Charles and Anne started walking and he asked "What is it with him?"

Anne frowned and sighed deeply, but said "It doesn't matter, he'll get over it" She hoped she would get over it, too.

Charles preferred not to push her when it came to Henry, he didn't want to risk either of them losing their temper. Besides, he didn't want to waste their last minutes together on that subject. After a while of walking in silence, Anne let go of his arm and wrapped hers around his back, he put his around her shoulders in return. When they reached his carriage, he noticed that she stiffened a little, so he turned and wrapped his hands around her hips, she smiled sadly at him before putting her arms around his neck, burying her face there and hugging him, he held her so tight that he ended up lifting her feet of the air. Once he set her down on the ground again, she grabbed his cheeks and kissed him as if her life depended on it, after that she let go of him and a little out of breath said "I love you", he kissed her again and said "I love you" she kissed him one last time and pushed him towards the carriage saying "Go, go, go!" But he just laughed and kissed her again, she too started laughing and said "I'm serious! You have to leave" still pushing his chest, he went to turn around and get inside the carriage but said "one more!" and kissed her again, at this point they were smiling widely. Finally, he turned around and got inside, but she couldn't contain herself and went to his window to kiss him one last time, he grabbed her neck and whispered in her ear "I love you" she took a few steps back and signaled for the rider of the carriage to leave, he was the one that always took them from Pembroke to Hatfield, he had been serving Charles since he was given the Dukedom of Suffolk and they trusted him. Also, truth to be told, the boy was happy for them, it was about time they told each other how they really felt, everyone in Pembroke saw the love they had for each other, it was great that they were no longer blind to it. The young man smiled at her and as they were about to leave she mouthed to Charles "I love you" she put her hand over her heart and watched as they left.

Yes, she felt happy about this thing with Charles, but she couldn't help but think about the way she felt when Henry touched her cheek, for against her own will, something ignited inside of her when he did.

* * *

2 weeks after her visit to Hatfield, Anne was in her chambers about to reply to a letter Charles had sent her, when her sister Mary entered with George trailing behind her. After the divorce, Anne sent a few letters to Mary asking for forgiveness, her sister was quick to assure her that there were no ill feelings between them, she understood the position Anne was in, being the wife of the King and having the father they had, there was not much Anne could do to help her, in fact, Mary's marriage only made her position worse. But Mary's husband had died a year earlier, leaving her with very little money, and when Anne found out about it, she asked her to move in with her. Ever since, their relationship was better than ever, Mary's children adored their aunt, and she loved having them around, they filled the castle with joy. She and Mary were finally as happy as they had been when they were in France. George and their father had kept their peerages after the divorce, but Thomas Boleyn was no longer a member of the Privy Council and had been banished from court, as a request from Anne to Henry. When he found out that Anne had done that he stopped talking to her, he felt she had betrayed him, he even tried to turn George against her, but his son told him that he was done playing those games, George knew they had been lucky to escape with their lives, being able to maintain their tittles was a miracle, and they had Anne to thank for that. If she hadn't listened to her heart and decided that the best course of action was to let Henry free, God knows what he would've been capable of doing to get rid of her. She had proved once again that she was smarter than all of them together, and he was forever grateful to her for that, since she had given Henry the easy way out, he treated her and her family just like he always had, he kept George a member of the Privy Council and granted him a divorce from Jane, who had been married off to some knight and now lived in the countryside. He thanked God every day for this new opportunity, he thrived at court, his relationship with his sisters was better than ever, he visited them as often as he could, and he no longer was a pawn in his father's games. For the last 3 years life had finally been peaceful, until now. He approached Anne and with a worried expression on his face, said "Sister, the King requests your presence at court"

A/N: Aren't Charles and Anne the cutest? Also, what is it with Anne feeling something when Henry touched her? Let me know what you think it was, things are definitely going to get interesting pretty soon. Oh, and don't take any word for granted, it could mean something later on.


	7. Its Love Nonetheless

A/N: My loves! **I'm extremely sorry for the delay** , I was super busy with work and college and to top it off I had the flu. Then I took a few days off to visit my nephew/godson and the rest of my family.

Now, 50 reviews?! Whaaaaat? I never expected to get this response, I'm so happy! **Thank you so so so much!** I love hearing from you, **I answered all your reviews at the end of this chapter.** I hope you enjoy!

 _ **Solitude of Love**_

"Tell him yes. Even if you are dying of fear, even if you are sorry later, because whatever you do, you will be sorry the rest of your life if you say no." Gabriel García Márquez.  
 **  
Chapter 6**

No, no, no. This couldn't be happening. How could she be so naïve as to think that Henry would forget about her? She should've seen this coming, he ignored her for the rest of his stay at Hatfield, but she didn't think much about it because he also ignored Jane. After Charles left, he stayed for a while in his chambers, only to come out later just to play with the kids, he didn't join them for dinner and he retired for the evening once they were ready to hear Anne's bedtime story, he didn't even look at her. The next morning he and Jane left quite early, just after breakfast. She had noticed the mood in which he was in, but he masked it extremely well in front of Edward and Elizabeth, she had to give him that, he was still their papa, his eyes softened and a genuine smile graced his lips when he was with them, but aside from that, his face was stone cold, to the point where _she_ couldn't decipher the reason for his anger. At the moment, she thought that it was typical Henry being overly dramatic and that he was going to forget about his wounded pride as soon as he returned to court. But God, she had been so wrong. Charles mentioned in his letter that Henry had gone back to treating him as he always had and she stupidly thought that her assumptions were right, and that Henry had gotten over the whole ordeal, but of course he was going to treat Charles right, he didn't want him to suspect anything! Henry could be many things, but he wasn't stupid, he knew exactly how to play his cards. She turned to George after a few moments of silence in which she got over the surprise and thoughtfully asked "Did he tell you why?" Knowing Henry, he would have a good excuse, he knew that if he summoned her without a reason she wasn't going to go, he tried it once before, just before Edward's birth. Apparently, he wanted to show the courtiers that there weren't ill feelings between them and that she would accept the birth of the new prince, but he didn't say that, that was what George assumed, so she told him to tell the King that she was sick and unable to travel, but he and he knew that if he requested her presence without a real reason, she was going to make up another excuse.

George sat down in the opposite side of the table. Ever since Anne and Henry divorced, he maintained a close friendship with the King. Surprisingly, His Majesty didn't blame him for his failed marriage, if anything, he relied on him as much as he did on the Seymour brothers or on Brandon. In the beginning, Brandon had enjoyed the Seymour's company, but he wasn't really their ally. Yes, they had helped bring down Anne Boleyn and her family, and it wasn't a secret that he despised them, but he couldn't care less about them once they were gone. But George stayed, and he proved to be a thoughtful courtier, finally living up to his full potential now that his father, and sister, weren't there to take charge. As Charles' hate for Cromwell grew, along with his annoyance at the Seymour's brothers, and he got to know Anne, his relationship with George also turned to friendship. Everything had taken an unexpected turn rather quickly, but they both welcomed it. Since it all happened quite at the same time, George really didn't object Charles and Anne's relationship, or whatever it was, he noticed that Charles stopped taking mistresses and Anne's happiness showed when she was with him, he was happy for them. But he was glad with the way things were, he didn't want Anne to go to court with Charles, and was relieved at her reluctance to do so. He knew, better than anyone, how she had suffered during her marriage and he didn't want her to go through something similar again, be it with Henry or with Charles. He valued the man's friendship, and he was grateful to him for making his sister happy, but she was more important to him than anything in the world, he almost abandoned her when she needed him the most, because he was afraid of their father, he was afraid of Norfolk and he was afraid of the King. But not anymore, he had made a promise to protect her and he intended to fulfill it. He had been able to do so, until Charles came back a day earlier from Hatfield and told him about their encounter with Henry. And then, just when he was beginning to think that maybe Henry had forgotten about it all, he had summoned him and told him to go get Anne, he knew that that was just the beginning. He told her the reason the King had given him "He wants your opinion on Elizabeth's suitors" but he looked at her with a knowing expression, sighed, and followed up with "Charles told me about what happened while you were in Hatfield"

Anne ignored George's comment, stood up and walked around the chamber in deep thought, one hand under her chin as the other rested on her hip. She had underestimated Henry, he mentioned that he was starting negotiations for a betrothal for Elizabeth because he wanted an excuse to take her back to court. He must've thought that she would associate what he told her during their walk with his request and then, if she confronted him or if she refused to go, he would claim that he was doing it all for their daughter. If she wanted the betrothal to happen she had to go. The man was smart when he wanted something. How could he do this to her? Make her go back to that place, for what? He was going to tire of her again as soon as she gave him what he wanted. But she didn't know what he wanted, or if she was willing to give it to him.

Mary was the one to interrupt her thoughts, she knew Anne didn't want to return to the place where her life had been heaven and hell in a span of 10 years, but she had to go, for her and for Elizabeth. She took the hand that rested on Anne's hip and softly told her "If you refuse him it'll be the same story all over again, Annie. I know you don't want to, but you have to go"

Seeing Anne's fear in her eyes, George spoke up "Mary's right. Besides, I'll be there and Charles will too. You have nothing to worry about"

But what they didn't know was that Anne was afraid not only because she feared what her enemies could do to her, but because she didn't trust Henry and because she didn't trust herself with him, especially not in Whitehall. She didn't want to go to court because she was afraid of the feelings that she associated with it. The way she felt when Henry touched her was proof that she wasn't over any of it, she had just pushed all her feelings about him, about Jane, about _her life_ before the divorce, to the back of her mind. For 3 years she hadn't thought about it and now she was forced to relive it all over again. She knew Mary was right, she needed to go, she needed to secure Elizabeth's future and she needed to go so Henry would forget about his newfound obsession with her, but did she really want him to forget it? She thought she hated him, but she was afraid that going to Whitehall would, somehow, prove to her that in fact she didn't. However, it seemed that there was nothing she could do. But she refused to let George and Charles take care of her, she rolled her eyes at him, she knew he'd understand the stupidity of his comment, but given that he had reminded her about Charles, she asked "Does Charles know about all of this?"

George rolled his eyes as soon as she rolled hers, he knew she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, but what was wrong with a little support from those who loved her? He decided to ignore that and answer her question instead "No, he has been busy with Cromwell trying to find a way to handle the rebellion"

Anne simply nodded and went to the door, once there, without turning around, she said "we'll leave in the morning" there was no use in writing a response to Charles' letter, and she didn't want George and Mary to see through her façade, she wasn't sure about how she felt, but she needed to deal with her feelings on her own. Little did she know that her sister knew her better than anyone else. As soon as Anne left, Mary turned to George and frowned, she crossed her arms over her chest, looked at him with a somber expression on her face and said "She still loves him"

What Mary didn't know was that she said exactly what George was thinking. He knew Anne loved Charles, but her feelings for Henry had always worried him. It was never part of the plan, she wasn't supposed to care for the King, let alone fall in love with him. To him, that had been her downfall, she craved Henry's love and when she didn't have it she fell apart. He didn't know if her love for Charles was enough to stop her from falling back into Henry's arms. Yet, he couldn't let Mary know of his fears, so he told her "She loves Brandon"

Mary knew what he was doing, she knew he understood better than her how deep the feelings between Anne and Henry ran. She sat down across from him and said "One can love two people at the same time. Maybe it's not the same type of love, but its love nonetheless" She was being realistic, but she was also trying to convince herself that Anne wouldn't act on her feelings for Henry because of her love for Charles. They needed to believe that, they didn't know if they were going to be able to protect her otherwise.

* * *

The trip to Whitehall was a long one, she was tired, she was irritated and all she really wanted was the peace of Pembroke. The thought of having to spend so much time away from the place that became her home made her even more restless, she wanted to talk to Henry, get it over with, and go back. But she knew that it wasn't going to be that easy, Henry would probably want her to stay for a while. But how could she walk around the place where she fell in love with him, where she had been so happy all those years ago, as if nothing had happened? How could she walk around the place where she found Henry with Jane in his lap, the place where she lost 2 of her babies, as if nothing had happened? How could she walk around Whitehall as if she hadn't been Queen, as if she hadn't been Henry's wife? Whitehall had been her home, it held so many memories that she didn't know what to do with all the nostalgia she was feeling, she forced herself not to think about those 10 years, she had a new life and she was happy. She needed to remind herself to breathe. She was going to be fine. This was nothing, she could control her mind, she knew how to handle court and she knew how to handle Henry. She was going to be fine. She forced herself to believe it.

She and George didn't really talk during the trip, they made brief conversation about Elizabeth and about the Rebellion, but that was about it. He knew not to pressure her to talk about her fears, if she needed him she would go to him. However, once they were almost at the gates of the palace, he turned to her and said "You're Anne Boleyn, don't forget it" He had to say those words, she had to know that he believed in her, all they had achieved was thanks to her, only her. He needed to remind her of that.

George was right. Yes, she had been away and she had grown afraid of this place, but she was Anne Boleyn, a woman smarter than most men, a woman who got what she wanted and never backed down, and a woman who wasn't afraid. She would deal with this as she had dealt with everything else in her life, trusting herself. It was her wit that always guided her, and her demise had been that her feelings got in the way, she couldn't think clearly because she was in love, she was jealous, and her temper got the best of her. But not anymore, before her marriage she had been the best player out there, it was when Henry began to stray that she let him win, not because he or Cromwell were better players, but because she had destroyed herself, she had been her own enemy, and the only way for her not to destroy herself anymore was divorcing the man that had done this to her. The day she decided to do that was the day that she felt like herself again, she felt that even though she had lost she had won in more ways than one, because she let her mind govern her, instead of her heart. And she intended to keep it that way. As soon as she got out of the carriage, she felt the fear being replaced with the confidence she needed, she held her head high and entered the place that made her who she was. Anne Boleyn was back.

Henry had told George to get her, he didn't tell him where she was going to stay or what she should do when she arrived. So she did the only thing she could, she headed to his chambers. She saw, out of the corners of her eyes, the shocked faces of those who were in the halls, she heard their whispers, they wondered why she was here. Did she come because she wanted to or had Henry summoned her? And if that was the case, _why_ had he summoned her? She saw as some of the ladies left to tell the other courtiers the big news. There were a few faces she hadn't seen before, but they all knew who she was. She wouldn't admit it to herself, but she enjoyed being the center of attention once again, to know that the court was buzzing because _she_ was there was exciting. Yet, she had to remind herself not to get too carried away with it all. She needed to think clearly. When she arrived to Henry's rooms she noticed that Charles and Edward Seymour were at the door, and as much as she wished her first thought at that to be wanting to throw herself into Charles' arms, it wasn't. She needed to deal with Henry first, she needed to see him here, in Whitehall, she needed to make sure that she was going to be able to handle it, to handle him. She nodded to the Dukes as if it was the most normal thing in the world that she was there, and she threw Charles a little, almost imperceptible, smile. She turned to one of the guards and said "Announce me"

But before the boy could do as she commanded, Edward Seymour, clearly irritated, said "The King asked not to be interrupted" who did this woman think she was? She didn't even greet him as it was customary, he was a Duke! And how dare she come here and _demand_ a meeting with King? She was insufferable, she acted as if the world was at her command. It was no wonder the King wanted to get rid of her when they were married, she behaved as anything but as a woman should.

As soon as he spoke, Anne realized something, he thought that she had come to court because she wanted to, Henry hadn't mentioned his plans to anyone, she made a mental note to remember that. Of course she didn't want to take Jane's place, but it could be fun to give the man that had played such a big role in her downfall a little of his own venom, she wanted him to feel what she had felt, that he no longer held the power that he thought he did. She smirked at him and said "He summoned me, I'm merely fulfilling his request" She turned to the guard once again and repeated her command, but seeing as he glanced at the Duke of Somerset and didn't do anything, she rolled her eyes and banged her fist in the door 3 times as she yelled "Henry!"

It wasn't the first time she did that, she had always done it. When they were courting and someone wouldn't let her see him she would knock on his door 3 times and call his name, it always worked and it showed everyone that he was always available to her, even if he wasn't to the rest of the world. And just like old times, as soon as she knocked, the door opened and Henry appeared there, with a triumphant smile on his face, he said "You're here"

She noticed the way Henry's eyes shined and she knew that, once again, she was his weakness. She was going to use that to her advantage, all she needed to do was put her own fears aside. She smiled back at him and answered "I am" as he let her in. She forced herself not to think of all the times during their marriage when she knocked on his door and he didn't answer.

A/N: I'm not really sure how I feel about this chapter. I think that, since I took a break, I lost a little of my momentum in terms of the way I write and what I had planned. Anyway, I promise you Henry/Anne and Charles/Anne scenes next. It was really difficult not getting to sneak a little Anne/Charles in here, but these chapters need to happen. What did you think? Anne Boleyn is back bitches!

 **Relent1ess:** Thank you so much! I fell in love with this pairing after reading the few stories about it and had to write something, this story wouldn't leave me alone. I'm glad that there are other Charles/Anne shippers and that you enjoy this so much!

 **Unnamedhpauthor:** Thank you so much! Actually, it was the lack of Tudors' fics that gave me the push I needed to publish this. I'm so glad you're enjoying this even if you don't ship Anne and Charles!

 **Hopegrl18:** Haha! Yeah, he is.

 **Giovanna Leblanc and QueenAnneTudor:** I'll definitely have more scenes with those 3 as the story progresses! Aaaand I loved that idea of Kitty Howard guys! I'll keep it in mind. Oh, and you'll be seeing a bit more of Henry, he's a big bump in the road for Charles and Anne.

 **Young lavender lady:** Yay! I'm so glad this made you ship Anne and Charles. Welcome to this great ship, it's gonna be a good journey! Haha. For now, Henry will play a big part in Anne and Charles' relationship because Anne needs to close that chapter of her life in order to be really happy with Charles. As for later, I'm gonna keep my lips sealed.

 **Renata:** Thank you so much for reading! I love sharing my work with you. As I said above, Anne needs to close the chapter of her life that involves Henry, it'll be a little hard for her along the way, but it needs to be done for her to be happy.

 **MarilizzieCullen13** **:** Don't tell anyone, but they are endgame ;) haha. But read what I said to the 2 reviewers above! Thank you so much!

 **Anneboleyntheonlyone** **:** We'll see about that.


	8. Just Anne, Just Henry

A/N: My loves, I'm extremely sorry for the delay, life got a little hard unexpectedly. Long story short, I didn't have the time or the energy to write. But I'm back! I won't make any promises regarding updates certain days of the week, but I'll try my hardest to finish this story.

I hope that you're still interested. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

 _ **Solitude of Love**_

"Tell him yes. Even if you are dying of fear, even if you are sorry later, because whatever you do, you will be sorry the rest of your life if you say no." Gabriel García Márquez

 **Chapter 7**

As soon as Anne entered Henry's chambers she felt every possible emotion weighing her down, it was as if she had entered a timeless space, the memories consumed her, every smell and every color took her back to their marriage. The soft fabrics of the chairs where they used to sit and play cards, the silver of the goblets of wine that more than once they smashed against the wall during a fight, the sound of the fire that had kept their naked bodies warm after nights of passionate love. She felt dizzy, she was trapped in a hurricane of memories, the only thing that brought her out of it was the voice in her head that told her to stay calm, she had been afraid of this very same thing, she new what to expect and how to handle it. She took a deep breath and kept control of her emotions, she could deal with them later, but now she had to be smarter than Henry. It wasn't that she had to stay strong so that he wouldn't see her weakness, it was that she had to stay strong for herself, because she was her own worst enemy. Thankfully, Henry was filling two goblets of wine and didn't see her face, if he saw her eyes he'd knew, but when he turned around and offered her to sit she had calmed herself enough to appear in control, her mind was still reeling, but she concentrated on the present moment and cut right to the chase, she took a drink and said "George told me that you wanted to talk about Elizabeth's betrothal"

Henry looked at her but she couldn't quite figure out his expression, he was smiling, but she didn't see the Henry she had gotten to know over the years, she saw the boy she met when she was just 'Perseverance', she saw the confidence, and yet she saw the doubt in his eyes, and she realized, he too had been transported in time, and she saw his smile for what it was, a smile he had never directed at her, a sad smile. Because yes, he had been taken back in time when she entered his rooms, but he had been brought back to reality too, to their reality. And with that, he went back to his usual, charming self, and said "Ah yes, I just have to look into some details and we can talk about it. How long are you planning on staying?"

She knew he was tricking her into a power balance, because even if it was true that if she left without his approval the one to suffer would be Elizabeth, if they ended up agreeing on a suitor for her, which, in theory, meant that she didn't have anything to do in Whitehall, he _had_ requested her presence and he was her King, she couldn't just decide when to leave. So she fought the urge to roll her eyes at his wits and said "For as long as Your Majesty desires"

Henry struggled not to laugh in front of her, he noticed the way her voice betrayed her uneasiness at referring to him as her King, not because she didn't believe he was or something like that, but because he had been to her much more than just her King, the title added to the distance between them, and he knew that if it wasn't for that, she wouldn't hesitate to tell him that she knew of his intentions. He wasn't stupid, he knew Anne had it all figured out. At first, he had brought up the subject of Elizabeth's betrothal because he truly felt that Anne and Elizabeth deserved it, but as he saw the nature of the relationship between Anne and Charles, and realized that she was out of his reach, he figured that he could use to his advantage his proposition of finding a husband for their daughter, and since she was the first thing in Anne's mind, she had her hands tied, she couldn't refuse him. Oh, how he loved playing with her, she never gave in, he wondered what would her answers be if he broke the King-Subject bond and let them be just Henry-Anne, so he laughed lightly and said "Please Anne, call me Henry. We know each other too well to be using titles"

Anne knew this game, he was playing games with her mind, he was giving her the freedom of being just Anne to just Henry. But it was no longer about a larger scheme, that right there was about Henry having fun, and she was going to give him fun, show him that no one matched his wit as she did, not even his most trusted men, _especially_ not them. She planned to bring him back to reality, they were no longer in the days of their courtship, they no longer were just Anne and Henry, so she laughed and with a cheeky smile replied "Well Henry, how's your wife?"

He was caught out of guard for a second, but quickly recovered and answered "She's fine. Just yesterday she told me that she has been craving quail, just like she did when she was pregnant with Edward" He expected her to bring up their marriage, he certainly did not expect her to ask about his marriage to her successor. And even though he was annoyed at being proven wrong, he couldn't deny that it was smart of her, he had given her the liberty to ask any question, to say whatever she wanted, and she chose the part of his life that tied them, but didn't involve them per se, it involved the divorce, it involved their marriage, but she didn't have to say any of it, and he couldn't bring it up either. He wanted to feel impressed with her, but he couldn't, he knew what he was getting into, bringing her back to Court and messing with her. That's why he gave her a taste of her own medicine, he hadn't been planning in sharing with anyone what Jane had told him, not yet, but his pride and the fact that Anne took him by surprise got the best of him, he knew it would hurt her, but he couldn't stop himself. Yet he almost regretted doing so when he saw the sadness in her eyes, she masked it very well, very fast, but he still saw it.

Jane was pregnant again. Anne forced herself not to look away, she kept her eyes glued to his, she couldn't show him the sadness that overtook her. That was supposed to be her life, she was supposed to be Henry's wife, she was supposed to be the mother of his children. She didn't regret the divorce and God knew that she'd never marry Henry again, or have anything to do with him, but she couldn't help but feel that someone else was living her life, and she wondered if Katherine felt the same way when she took her place, when she took her life. She thanked God that she hadn't suffered her predecessor's fate, but it still hurt to think that someone else had what had been hers. Either way, she smiled softly at Henry, she was happy for him, she really was, a child was always a blessing, her hurt wasn't directed at it or at him, neither at Jane, she had made peace with what happened a long time ago, she was just hurt, she couldn't imagine a time when being told those sort of news wouldn't hurt, she had loved Henry, she'll probably always will, and seeing him having a relationship with someone else like the one he had with her meant that she was replaceable, that what they had hadn't been as special as she used to think, she guessed that knowing that would always tug at her heartstrings. Besides, she asked about Jane, she couldn't really hold against him whatever he shared, so she let it be and, in all honesty, said "Congratulations"

He looked down and thanked her, but he needed to get them out of their misery, he couldn't let her dwell on the news, and he didn't want to think much about them either, God knew how much he had wanted for Anne to give him sons, but it didn't work out like that. So he didn't bother with what could've been, instead he grabbed the cards on top of the table and said "Up for a match?"

Anne smiled, he knew she wasn't one to refuse any kind of game, she said "Always" and so the match began.

At first they didn't really talk, they just played, but as the game progressed they felt more at ease with the other, the atmosphere changed into a more comfortable one and they started talking about the rebellion. Anne didn't know much, except for what Charles had told her and the rumors that reached Pembroke, so Henry told her what was really going on and they discussed it for a while. At some point Henry said "What would you do? Cromwell is set on fighting them, and I am too, but I don't think it's the right time. Of course they have to pay for disobeying their King, but not yet"

Anne pondered for a moment and replied "I agree with you, if you attack them first then they'll put the blame on you, but if they start the fight and then you act, it'll be seen as a logical response, you'll be defending yourself. Although, how much do you know of the length of their intentions? I'm sure there's a group of radicals that want England to be reconciled to the Roman Catholic Church, but they're just that, a group. I think that maybe the rest just want their lands and their monasteries put to good use. Also, you have to remember that most of them grew up in catholic fate, if you don't help them understand the reform and what it means, they'll keep thinking of it as something evil, and they'll link their economic troubles to it"

Henry couldn't help the smile that graced his face, he hadn't thought of it that way, but it was logical, this people's lives had changed in seconds and no one had told them that it was for their own benefit, and now the radicals that remained loyal to Katherine were filling people's heads with nonsense about the reform. He stopped playing, looked at Anne and said "Can't you be a member of my Privy Council? I swear you're smarter than all those men"

They laughed, but they were both brought back to reality with the sound of Thomas Seymour's voice telling the King that Cromwell had urgent news of the rebellion. The spell was broken. Without noticing, they had gone back in time again, for when they were talking and playing it had felt like old times, when they were planning on getting married, but that wasn't the reality anymore. Now, his wife was pregnant and she was in love with another man.

* * *

The Court was buzzing, everyone already knew that Anne Boleyn was in the Kings chambers, but most importantly, everyone knew that she had knocked on the door herself and the King had let her in, despite his request of not wanting to be bothered. Everyone wanted to know what was she doing there, especially after so long. But there was one person that wanted to know more than the rest, Charles Brandon.

When Henry requested for him and Edward to guard his door and not let anyone in, the least thing he expected was to see Anne arrive, and when she told Edward Seymour that Henry had requested her presence he felt his stomach drop, the fact that she knocked on Henry's door didn't help, he knew she didn't want to come back to court, he was worried for her, he couldn't begin to imagine what she felt being back, he knew it scared the life out of her and he wanted to protect her, but Anne Boleyn swore she didn't need protecting, and he was at a loss, he knew why Henry wanted her there, he wanted her for him, but he didn't know which excuse he had used to get her to come. He also knew that Anne was scared that people would want to destroy her, but he couldn't defend her, it would only fuel the rumors of their romance, and that's the last thing they needed. Right now, Anne had to deal with the shocked courtiers and with Henry, not an easy task at all, but it calmed him that George had sent him a reassuring glace as soon as he and Anne arrived at Henry's door, he would've asked him about the turn of events, but since Edward was there they couldn't talk. He and Edward stayed there throughout the day, Henry hadn't dismissed them once Anne arrived, he guessed that he wanted Charles to feel jealous of the fact that they were alone in his rooms, and maybe he did it to Edward too so that he would report it back to his family, because lately the Seymours were acting as if they were untouchable and Charles knew that Henry hated when people didn't realize that they were as powerful as he wanted them to be and as much as he let them be, in Henry's mind, it wasn't up to them how powerful they were, and he could bring them down just as easily as he raised them.

He was brought out of his thoughts by Cromwell arriving at the door of the King's rooms with Thomas Seymour trailing behind him, impatiently and a little out of breath Cromwell said "Where's His Majesty? According to our spies the rebels have gathered arms in a village near the east of Yorkshire"

Thomas didn't hesitate to report the news through the door, he knew he had to resort to drastic measures to ensure Henry would listen to them, they needed to take action fast, all he and Cromwell had worked for was in danger. A few minutes after he did that, Henry went to the door and told the guard to let all of them in. Once they entered, Charles, who was keeping a close eye on Cromwell, noticed that the Secretary went pale when he saw Anne sitting comfortably drinking wine in the King's rooms, with cards scattered over the table. Proving Charles' suspicions, Henry hadn't told anyone about his intentions of bringing Anne back to Court.

Anne almost laughed at Cromwell's expression, to take him out of his misery she decided to talk to him first, rather than let him approach her. Without standing from her chair she said "Secretary"

Cromwell opted for a simple "Madam" as he sat down along with Charles and the brothers, Henry had returned to his seat as soon as they got in. The atmosphere had changed drastically, everyone was tense, but the reasons for everyone's mood were different. Cromwell and the Seymours weren't comfortable with Anne being there, but they both knew that they couldn't say anything to Henry, they didn't know why he had brought her back, but it could only mean bad news for them if he was infatuated with her again. Charles was angry at Henry for his attempts at pursuing Anne once again, but he also was trying to keep calm, he knew he needed to support Anne and not do anything that could harm her or their relationship, he couldn't anger Henry and he had to keep his eyes open for whatever the Seymours or Cromwell could plan to do, after all, they were Anne's strongest enemies, and so they were his too. Unlike the others, whose main concern was Anne, Henry's mindset had shifted dramatically, and he desperately wanted to know of Cromwell's findings about the rebellion. Once they were all seated he looked at Cromwell with impatience written all over his face and said "Well? I'm waiting"

"Your Majesty, I have information that in a village near the east of Yorkshire the rebels have gathered an important supply of all sorts of arms. This definitely proves that they not only disagree with our ideas, but are willing to go to the extent of harming the crown. I think that"

Cromwell was cut off by Anne scoffing and rolling her eyes. She noticed that he had gone silent and Henry was looking at her expectantly, she said "What do you suggest? Send our troops there to kill them all? That would only make us their enemies. The crown has to show them that there are no us and them, that the King wants what's best for them"

Thomas was the first to answer, irritation laced through his voice when he said "Madam, as the Master Secretary said, the fact that they're hoarding arms proves that they don't want a negotiation, they want see blood shed"

Anne was getting angrier by the second "According to who?! Maybe they're stocking arms because they fear our troops and what the King might do to them for rebelling against him and they're plan to defend themselves! And even if some of them want blood shed, who's to say that we should just kill them? I'm not denying the fact that there are radicals amongst them and even that their leaders might be the most radical of them all, but killing them not the solution. Ideologically, what are we trying to achieve with the reform then?" She knew she should stay out of it, Cromwell and the Seymours probably wanted an armed conflict because the more peaceful solutions would involve them losing all the money they had gained illegally through the destruction of the religious houses. But she couldn't keep her mouth shut, now with an issue that meant so much to her, she wasn't a reformer because she wanted to be Queen or because she wanted to enrich herself, she really believed in the reform, and now that she had seen the good it had meant to the people of Pembroke, she was willing to do whatever she could to ensure that the rest of England would benefit from it too.

Edward Seymour was the first to talk, he looked at Anne and sighed "I agree with you, Madam. Taking drastic measures could prove to work against us, if the matter of the arms was urgent our spies would have said so. I don't think the rebels mean harm right away, which gives us time to find out their motives" although all of them could hear the strain in his voice, presumably at having to agree with Anne, none of them thought that he was lying. Anne found this particularly interesting, she was sure that the brothers had, somehow, shared with Cromwell the money of the destruction of the monasteries. But now, it seemed like she had been wrong in her assumptions, at least about Edward. Thomas impatience with wanting to fight the rebels seemed suspicious to her, but maybe he was like that, less in control than his brother. Either way, she made a mental note to keep an eye out on both brothers.

Henry looked at all the others and said "Anne's right. Cromwell, ask the spies to provide us with information weekly and ensure that they find out the reasons for the hoarding of arms. We'll take this to the Privy Council and discuss possible ways for us to talk matters with the rebels" Anne couldn't help but smile, not because Henry had agreed that she was right, but because that was the Henry she knew. Of course he could be childish and the whole court was used to his tantrums, but she knew that he was a man that didn't go ahead with a plan or an idea unless he really believed in it.

Anne noticed that both Cromwell and Thomas seemed rather annoyed and almost mad, but they masked it well. Cromwell stood up from his chair, said "Of course, Your Majesty" and left. Henry looked at Charles and the brothers and they followed suit. Once left alone with Anne he told her "I'm sure you must be tired, I arranged for you to stay in the chambers were your family used to reside"

' _Before we got a divorce_ ' Anne added in her mind.

After a pause Henry continued "Your ladies are already there waiting for you, and tomorrow I'll hold a feast in your honor-"

Anne interrupted him before he could finish "Henry, that's not necessary"

"It's not, but I want to do it" he said, his tone firmer than before but not unkind.

Anne started to stand up and said "Alright. Then I bid you goodnight"

He smiled at her and replied "Goodnight Anne" and with that, she left his chambers.

Anne was glad she knew this castle like the back of her hand, it allowed her to take the less traveled hall towards her rooms, she didn't really feel like seeing any courtiers. As she was walking she realized that Henry probably told one of his men to inform her ladies where to take her stuff, after all, they had stayed behind when she and George went to the King, for they were collecting the things from the carriages.

When she entered the room she saw Charles was sitting in one of the chairs in front of the fire, reading a book while he waited for her with food on the table. She couldn't help the smile that graced her lips, he looked so peaceful, so at ease, she went to him and rubbed his cheek, breaking his concentration, he looked up from the book and smiled widely when he saw her, he put the book on the table, stood up, grabbed her waist and hugged her as tight as he could, she wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest. After a few minutes of staying like that, breathing each other in, he said "I missed you"

Anne removed her head from his chest, grabbed his face and kissed him. She had missed him just as much, the last few days had been extremely stressful and in his arms she felt at peace, finally. Once they stopped kissing she told him "what are you doing here?" Her face filled with confusion.

Charles smiled and said "I should be asking you that" which made them both laugh. But he knew what she was asking, how on earth had he entered her rooms? To which he answered with a simple "Nan and Madge love me" as he smiled cheekily at her and winked.

Anne laughed at his antics and answered "Hopefully they won't take you from me"

Charles rubbed her cheek as he said "I won't let anyone, ever, take me away from you. I swear" After a few moments, he took his hand away from her cheek, glanced at the table and said "I'm sure you must be hungry, shall we?" Anne just nodded in response. They sat and started eating. They both knew that the peace they were enjoying in that moment wouldn't last long, and yet, they were unaware of the dangers that lay ahead of them.

A/N: I know! I know! Not a lot of action, but this chapter is very important in terms of setting the rest of the plot. What was that at the end about our loves being in danger?! I promise more of Anne/Charles in the next chapter.


	9. Forever Grateful

A/N: Hi guys! Let's welcome all the new followers, you're all the best! I'm glad you enjoy this story. If you want to see something happen let me know and I'll see what I can do! I know last chapter wasn't the best, there were a few grammar mistakes and it was slow, but it needed to happen. Let's move on to the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it!

 _ **Solitude of Love**_

"Tell him yes. Even if you are dying of fear, even if you are sorry later, because whatever you do, you will be sorry the rest of your life if you say no." Gabriel García Márquez

 **Chapter 8**

Charles Brandon knew his life was desired by many, he had been a childhood friend of the King of England and as the time passed, their shared interests only made them closer. Later in life, said friendship had earned him a Dukedom, but he wasn't the typical nobleman, he wasn't in Court to gain power, he wasn't really interested in the Court's machinations. It was a paradox that he, the man who didn't care for politics, was the King's best friend and enjoyed such a high place in Court. Of course, he was Henry's right hand because with him the former could enjoy other, more mundane, stuff. But that didn't mean that he was free of his duties as a nobleman, especially one in his position, he had to attend Privy Council meetings and offer his advice, especially on matters of war, for he had been trained in the military arts and he often lead the Royal Army when it was needed. Yet, he no longer felt that his thoughts were in synch with those of the rest. When he was young he was as eager for war as them, he was as eager to spend money and do what he pleased at the expenses of others. He had never been particularly cruel to anyone but that didn't mean that the others weren't, and he didn't agree with that, he couldn't understand the need to bring others down in order to raise themselves, maybe it was because in his case Henry himself had raised him and brought him down as he pleased, but still, Court was too cruel a place for his liking. He was especially concerned with Cromwell's power, and the Secretary knew it, he had offered Charles some of the lands left after the destruction of the monasteries, and he had convinced Henry that the people weren't angry about it, when he knew they were, but Henry still trusted him way too much, he still thought that Cromwell had been honest with him. Charles wanted nothing more than to wipe the smile that rested on Cromwell's face ever since Anne left Court.

During dinner, he and Anne talked about the rebellion and she confided in him her suspicions regarding the Seymour brothers, especially Thomas. He had to agree with her, he wasn't fond of either of them, but he thought that Edward, apart from being ambitious and cold, was the smartest of them all, which was why Charles didn't think he would go behind the King's back without being completely sure that there wouldn't be consequences. But Thomas was more reckless, they'd have to keep an aye out on him. But enough about everyone else, the good thing about this whole ordeal was that Anne was here, he had to admit that he would've loved if the circustamces were different, but he was happy nonetheless, every opportunity to see her was good. He wanted to laugh, never in a million years did he think that he would be feeling like that towards Anne Boleyn, but he was extremely glad that he did, he didnt want to imagine a life in which he didn't love her. That's why he was willing to fight anyone that dared stand in their way, he was finally happy, he had met the perfect person for him, and he'd rather die than let anyone take her from him.

He was in his chambers finishing breakfast when a groom appeared at his side telling him that the King had sent an invitation to go hunting with him and other members of the court later in the morning. Of course Charles couldn't deny him, so he sent the groom to deliver his acceptance to the invitation. He couldn't help but wonder if Anne was invited too, they all knew she loved riding as much as any other man, she was quite something when it came to it. What was Henry playing at?

* * *

Meanwhile, Jane and Henry were having breakfast together. Jane couldn't believe her ears the day prior when her brothers informed her that Anne Boleyn was back, and at the request of the King no less. She had told him that she was pregnant and he brought his former wife back to court? A part of her wanted to believe that he did it in order to rub it Anne's face, but he'd never do that to her. There was a time when she believed that he loved her more than he had loved Anne, after all, he divorced Anne for her, did he not? But after going to Hatfield she realized that he would never stop loving her, and now she knew that not even a child in her womb was enough to keep him interested in her. She had to give birth to a boy and she just had to believe that he wouldn't risk his heirs for his former wife. Edward and this babe were her only hope.

She was startled when she heard Henry's voice as he stood up, he had not said a word since he sat to eat, "Dear, change into you ridding attire, we're going hunting with some courtiers"

She wanted to remind him that she was pregnant, that it surely wasn't safe for her to ride in such condition. But she kept her mouth shut, she knew not to challenge him, the only time she tried to do that he told her not to meddle in his affairs, and reminded her of her predecessors' fates. Besides, she wanted to see if he had invited Anne too, she couldn't lose, not to her. So she smiled and said "Of course, my King" as sweetly as she could, she couldn't show him that she was afraid.

* * *

When Anne arrived at the stables Charles and George were already there talking amongst themselves, she couldn't help the smile that graced her lips when she looked at Charles, he looked so handsome standing there, she longed to hug him, but she knew that they had to be careful, she didn't want the court finding out that the rumors were actually true, it wasn't a secret to anyone that they were friends, but no one had been able to confirm that there were romantic feelings between them, and she intended to keep it like that, what they did wasn't anyone else's business. As she was going towards them she heard Henry's voice behind her "Anne, I'm glad you decided to join us"

She kept herself from rolling her eyes as soon as she heard him, she wanted so much to talk to Charles and George without Henry there. She turned around as he put his hand forward for her to give hers to him, as he kissed it, she said "You know I can't say no to a hunt, Your Majesty" pointedly ignoring Edward and Thomas Seymour, who had arrived with Henry. She wasn't going to pay any respects to them and Henry didn't seem to mind either.

He smiled gently at her and said "Please Anne, you know you can call me Henry. I'd be honored if you decided to ride with me, but I know you won't be able to say no to your Troy" he then turned and signaled to a stableman, who brought her old horse to them.

Anne was shocked, her eyes widened and she brought her hand to her mouth, she couldn't believe Henry didn't get rid of her precious horse, of her Troy. When they divorced she couldn't take it to Pembroke because, according to Cromwell, it belonged to the Crown. Of course she knew that if Henry wanted he could've given it to her, but he was punishing her, so she though that he had killed the horse or let it die. She knew that Henry was doing this to please her and win her back, and she was mad at him for that, but she couldn't be mad at her horse, she loved Troy, he had always been her companion, she went over to him and started petting him, and to her greatest joy, he remembered her, he leaned his head into her touch. She turned back to Henry and said "Thank you", if she had to be nice to him to get her horse back, so be it.

But before he had a chance to respond, Jane arrived with her ladies and said "Your Majesty, I'm sorry for making you wait." She was aware that none of them were going to bow to her. Anne would've demanded that they kneel, but she didn't have the guts to demand such respect, even if she was the Queen.

"Its fine dear, just don't let it happen again. Shall we?" Said Henry as he guided her to his horse and helped her sit. He wasn't about to neglect her, he wanted to make Anne jealous, remind her of what she was missing.

What Henry didn't take into account was that as soon as he went to help Jane, and her brothers went to their horses, Charles went over to Anne. He couldn't help but smile when he got close to her, she was also smiling because she was glad that he had grabbed the opportunity to approach her, he said "Hey, let me help you" as he grabbed her by the waist and helped her mount her horse, then he fastened the security belts of her seat, letting his hand linger on her leg for a couple of seconds. Anne was tempted to kiss him right then and there, the tension was killing her, but she settled for putting her hand on top of his and giving it a squeeze as she shot him a reassuring smile. He let her go and went to his horse, only then noticing that Henry, Jane, the Seymour brothers and George had been watching them all along.

Of course everyone felt something different when they witnessed the exchange between the two, but they all knew that things were about to get much more complicated.

The hunt went on for about a 3 hours, the environment was tense and somewhat awkward, no one understood why Henry wanted them all together in the same place, perhaps it was to show the Seymours, Charles, and George the place Anne had once again in his life and what exactly it meant to each of them. Of course, the fact that Jane was riding with Henry didn't allow him to really hunt, so he let the other men do it, he knew that if he got distracted, Charles, somehow, was going to end up next to Anne, and he wanted to see how they would act on the feast after being deprived of being next to the other for the whole day. He wanted to see if they would dare act like they did in private in front of the whole court, and in front of him.

They rode back to the palace, the men went to a Privy Council meeting and Jane went to her chambers, but Anne stayed for a moment at the stables. The hunt had drained her emotionally, she spent the whole time worrying about anything Henry might say, she was aware of his eyes on her the whole time, she didn't know how to feel regarding all the attention he was giving her, for a moment she had felt like she did when he was courting her and she was a mere lady in waiting, but she didn't want history to repeat itself, she didn't want him to be entranced with her again, she didn't know how to react, she knew that he would always have a hold on her, she had loved him and he was the father of her precious child, yet she promised herself to never let anyone control her happiness as he had, she promised herself that she would never go back to him, but she never thought that that was a possibility, she didn't think it was a possibility now, but what if it was? What if came crawling back to her? She feared that she wasn't a strong as she thought she was, and as strong as she wanted to be. He said that she had charmed him, but he never understood the power that he had over her. And to top it all of she had Charles now, and she loved him with everything that she had, the difference was that she didn't let her happiness depend on him, she couldn't let that happen, not again, but it scared her to lose him, it scared her because she knew that she didn't need him, but Lord, how she wanted him. And Henry was threatening it all, he really wouldn't let her be happy, he made her doubt herself and he made her face a crossroad in front of the whole Court, where she had to watch everything she did and everything she said, because everyone wanted to pry into her life, that's why she stayed at the stables a little longer, she needed to breathe and gather herself before entering the palace again and before going to the feast.

A few hours later she was finished getting ready when Madge informed her that George was there to see her. She put on her earrings and went to the outer chamber where George was waiting for her. When he saw her he noticed the distress on her face, he had seen it many times to know that she was anxious and scared, he went over to her and said "Annie..."

But when she saw the pity in his eyes she hardened her eyes and a mask of confidence took over her anxious state. She knew she could trust George, she didn't do it for him, she did it because she needed to present herself as confident as possible, even in front of him, if she looked confident, she felt confident. If she revealed her fears to him she would go to the feast feeling more nervous and scared. She smiled at him and said "Let's go" motioning for Nan and Madge to follow them. Yet, nothing could've prepared her for the moment in which she set foot in the Great Hall, this whole palace was like a trip to the past, she wanted to scream at all the memories that filled her, for so long she had forgot about her life here, and now it was all coming back to her in little pieces, Henry's chambers, her chambers, Troy, the hunt, the Great Hall. She was forced to face the reality of everything that had happened to her, of course she thought about it while she was in Pembroke, and she made peace with it, but physically being here again was another thing. She relived the happiest times of her life, and she relived the times when she was most afraid, she had to face the whole Court again, everyone that tried to destroy her was here and she was extremely afraid that they would try to do it again, especially if they perceived that she posed a threat to them. That's why she had to be aware of everything, she couldn't let anything pass her by, and she had to act carefully around everyone, she wasn't going to give anyone a reason or a chance to bring her down, not again. As the groom announced her, she put on her mask, smirked, and walked towards Henry through the sea of courtiers bowing at her.

Once she reached Henry, she bowed at him, he raised her and grabbed her hands. They stared at each other for a moment, and he signaled Mark to star playing music. He had wanted to introduce her to the Court, but his words failed him, she looked absolutely beautiful, but he could see that she was no longer the girl that captured his heart all those years ago, she was a woman, and she was no longer his. He led her to the center of the hall and they started dancing, no one could take their eyes off of them, those who had witnessed their love story as it unfolded, and those who had come to Court after the King's Great Matter, realized that this two couldn't stay away from each other for long, their lives were meant to touch at some point, some would dare say that they were soulmates, the truth was that even if they supported Anne or not, they all agreed that she and Henry were an enigmatic pair, yet they also realized that, whereas Henry was as obsessed with Anne as ever, she didn't look to be seeking the position she once held in his life, and they all found that very interesting.

Soon after their first dance other couples started filling the hall, and as the third song came to an end she said to Henry "Excuse me, I'm not as young as I once was, I think I need to catch my breath" They both knew she was lying, she danced perfectly, without missing a step. Yet, she had to stop, she couldn't keep dancing with him, she was starting to get lost in his embrace and she was starting to forget her surroundings, but as much as she had enjoyed getting lost in him in the past, it didn't felt right anymore. As she danced more and more with him, she thought more and more about Charles, she couldn't get him out of her mind, the thought of being so close to him, yet so far, was killing her.

Henry wanted to see what she would do, so he let her go, but not without saying to her "Only if you promise me another dance before the night ends"

Anne smiled and said "Of course" She turned and caught Mark's eye, who winked at her, they hadn't seen each other since the divorce, but they exchanged letters sometimes and he was very good friends with Charles and George, she made a mental note to talk to him the following days. Then, she searched for Charles, and was extremely glad when she noticed that he was talking to George, she was aware that everyone was watching her every move tonight, and that they already talked about her relationship with Charles, but she wasn't going to deny herself the opportunity to be with him, not after spending the whole day without him, to everyone they were just friends, they couldn't prove the contrary.

He smiled when he saw her making her way over to him and George, he had been seething with jealousy watching her dance with Henry, she looked beautiful, she looked regal and elegant, he couldn't deny that she belonged here, at Court. He still couldn't believe that he had the chance to get to know her, and love her, he was forever grateful to God for making her a part of his life. When she was next to them, he said grinned at her and said "Hey, having fun?"

She rolled her eyes playfully at him and smacked his arm, the smile never leaving her face as she said "I'm having the time of my life" as sarcastic as ever.

George laughed and said "Well, I, for once, am enjoying the attention we're getting again. Especially from the ladies" as he shot them a suggestive look and glance towards a group of ladies in waiting watching them.

Anne laughed and smacked his arm too "God, you're insufferable. Go, go, go! I don't want you near me"

George curtsied and said "If that's what my Lady desires, I'll gladly leave" then he turned and made his way towards the group of ladies. He didn't want to leave Anne, but he couldn't stay by her side and make the courtiers think that she needed protecting.

Anne and Charles sat and enjoyed the wine and the food, they tried not to pay attention to the fact that almost everyone was glancing at them from time to time. The courtiers thought that Henry and Anne were going to be the entertainment of the evening, but it turned out that Charles and Anne were far more interesting, not only because it was rumored that they were more than friends, but because it was such an incredible thing, those two had hated each other for so long, and now they were friends. It went to show just how much things had changed since the last time Anne Boleyn graced the Court with her presence.

But Anne was also paying attention to her surroundings, she couldn't help but glance at Jane and Henry, they really did make an odd couple, at times, they didn't even look like the royal couple. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was something strange about them, they didn't seem happy, Henry looked anxious, but mean at the same time, and Jane looked either very shy, or very scared. Anne really didn't know what it was that made them look so strange to her, until she realized something crucial, that she didn't pay attention to when they were at Hatfield, Henry and Jane didn't look in love. That was it. They weren't in love and it showed. God, how it showed.

With that tidbit of information se kept subtly studying everyone in the room. She noticed that Thomas Seymour and Cromwell were awfully close, always talking. She noticed that Edward Seymour seemed worried, even he couldn't hide that through his mask of coldness. She noticed Chapuys watching her and she realized, for the first time, that the Lady Mary had decided to skip the banquet, of course she had, Anne wondered what Mary thought of all of this, once, she had thought of Charles as an ally, but since she found out that he was friends with Anne she ceased her friendship with him, surely she couldn't be happy with her father's decision, Anne reminded herself to keep Mary in mind, too.

Charles interrupted her train of thought saying "Anne, stop thinking. You can worry tomorrow"

Anne sent him a smile in response that clearly said 'guilty', he was right, she was thinking too much.

"You know, if you don't want to dance with me, there are plenty of ladies willing to take your place"

Anne mockingly gasped and said "Oh, is that so, Your Grace? Why didn't you say it before? We're depriving so many girls of the chance of being subject to your charms!"

Charles shrugged his shoulders and said "Well, what can I say? After all, I'm the most desired bachelor of the whole Court" with a smug expression oh his face.

"I'm sure they desire you for your riches. Because you, My Lord, are not getting any younger" replied Anne as she stifled her laugh.

He rolled his eyes at her antics and said "I despise you"

Anne laughed loudly and answered "We both know that's a lie" she stood up and followed up with "Are you dancing with me or do I have to go look for a partner?"

Charles smiled, stood up too, and led her to where the other couples were. They only danced together once before, the day when she met Henry, but they were pleasantly surprised when they realized that dancing together was as natural as breathing. Suddenly, they felt as if they entered a dream-like state, where everyone else vanished and only they remained. They didn't think about the steps, they didn't think about anyone or anything other than the other, they looked into each other's eyes, and danced. It was in that moment that they realized that they didn't want to spend one minute without the other ever again. In their relationships with Henry and Margaret, they both had felt like each was a piece of a puzzle that only their lovers at the time could complete, but now they felt whole, they no longer felt like a piece in need of another piece, they didn't need anyone to complete them, giving them the liberty of enjoying the other as their true, authentic, self. It really was the most freeing feeling either of them had ever experienced. And they were forever grateful to the other for that.

As the dance came to an end and the world around them started to take shape again, Charles grabbed Anne's waist and whispered in her ear "Marry me"

A/N: Oh God. My loves, what do you think is going to happen? I'm really excited about the next chapters, shit's going down. Also, many things happened in this chapter, pay attention to the details, they'll play a huge role later on.

Let me know what you think and I'll see you soon!


	10. Will You Marry Me?

A/N: You guys, **70 reviews?! Thank you so much**. You deserve a gift and here it is, earlier than expected, I present to you, Chapter 9!

 _ **Solitude of Love**_

"Tell him yes. Even if you are dying of fear, even if you are sorry later, because whatever you do, you will be sorry the rest of your life if you say no." Gabriel García Márquez

 **Chapter 9**

 _As the dance came to an end and the world around them started to take shape again, Charles grabbed Anne's waist and whispered in her ear "Marry me"_

Words couldn't describe the way Anne felt when she heard him say those words. Somehow, all her fears didn't matter anymore, she felt something in her heart telling her that this was what she had always wanted. She swore she wouldn't fall in love ever again, but with Charles everything was different, falling in love made sense, and she had never felt quite like that before. She turned her face to look at his and the glint in his eyes told her everything she wanted to know, they both felt the same way, nothing and no one mattered anymore, she grabbed his arms and was about to answer when she was brought back to reality by Henry appearing at her side and saying to Charles "Your Grace, I'm sure you won't mind if I steal your lady for a dance" Charles let go of her hips and did his best to not punch Henry, he was meddling in their relationship once again. Back in Pembroke his fears regarding his relationship with Anne were out of jealousy of Henry, he was afraid that she would go back to him or that she still loved him. For him, Henry's presence always loomed around them. And now it was happening too. He was getting tired of it.

Anne let go of him and took Henry's outstretched hand. She was seething with rage. Henry had already hurt her enough, he had done enough damage already, she wasn't going to let him stand in the way of her happiness yet again for his own selfish reasons. He always ended up hurting the ones that cared about him, one look at Katherine, at Jane, at herself, was enough to prove it. She was glad that Charles hadn't corrected Henry when he called her his lady, she wasn't going to correct him either. She was Charles' and no one else's.

As she looked at Henry when they started to dance she noticed the triumphant look on his face, they had never been able to hide their true emotions from the other, meaning he could probably feel the anger radiating off of her. With a teasing glint in his eye, Henry said "My lady, you seem upset. I didn't realize I was interrupting a special moment between you and the Duke of Suffolk"

She realized that that had been his intention all along, to get her and Charles all riled up. But she knew him, sweet little Henry, didn't really think that she or Charles were going to retaliate due to fear. Well, it seemed that he had forgotten that he wasn't dealing with just anyone, he was dealing with Anne Boleyn. She couldn't help but answer rather harshly "Don't mock me, we both know what you're doing" as they started to dance.

Henry feigned surprise, and, sarcastically, said "Oh, I didn't realize I was doing something. Care to enlighten me, _sweetheart_?" He wanted to see how far she would go, surely, she wouldn't dare fight him. Not anymore.

Anne's response was a combination of a scoff and a laugh, he was unbelievable. She looked at him pointedly and said "Now I'm your sweetheart? What happened to that during our marriage?" she twirled as the danced required and when they were face to face again, pretending that realization dawned on her, she said "Oh right! You only want people when you can't have them"

With surprise he noticed that the Anne he knew seemed to be back. It amused him how defensive she got, so, in an effort to see how she would react, he, ignoring her completely, said "Don't kid yourself, Anne. You only want him because you can't have me"

At that, Anne actually laughed, but it wasn't a joyous laugh at all, it was a cruel one. "My Lord, I'm sure that if I wanted you, I'd have you. Wasn't I the one who asked for a divorce?" she asked as she lifted a perfect eyebrow and smirked.

Henry took a deep breath, he was starting to lose his patience, how dare she talk to him like that? Who did she think she was? Yes, the Anne Boleyn he knew was definitely back, and he didn't quite know how to feel about that, he didn't really think that she would stand up to him, not with so much at stake, not after she had been civil, kind even, to him. Also, he realized, this was the first time in their life that she didn't fight him because of him, because she loved him and wanted him to care for her, she was being cruel to him because of Charles, and he found it hard to wrap his head around that. Weakly, he said what he wanted to believe "He's not going to make you happy" as rage filled him.

Anne didn't hold back her answer "Like _you_ did?" Right at that moment the dance ended and she let go of him, harshly. She curtsied with a "Your Majesty" and left the Great Hall, to the shock of the Court. Henry returned to his seat and downed two goblets of wine in a row, slamming them in the table once he was done. Of course, no one dared to talk to him for the reminder of the evening. Trust Anne Boleyn to anger the King and leave the banquet held in her honor in the process.

* * *

When Anne reached her chambers she closed the door behind her and started breathing heavily, she couldn't believe everything that had happened in just a day, in just a night! Charles proposed and she was ready to say yes, in that instant she was sure she wanted to say yes. But then Henry appeared, like always, and made her doubt everything, why did she feel like she wanted to push his buttons? To see how far he was willing to go, when she knew that there would be consequences? She had tried to be civil to him, to not anger him, for the sake of Elizabeth, for the sake of Charles, and for her own sake, but she couldn't stay away form the danger that was Henry Tudor, and she didn't know why. She hated that he still had that power over her, of making her lose her temper so easily. Yet, in a way she felt that she needed to fight him, she needed to end that chapter of her life if she wanted to be happy with Charles, she felt that she wasn't fighting Henry only for her, but she was fighting for her and Charles, and she suddenly realized it, she only lost her temper with Henry because he was interfering between her and Charles, she wanted, no, she _needed_ him to understand that her happiness didn't rely on him, that she was ready to let go of the story of Anne Boleyn and Henry Tudor, for good.

She was looking through the window, deep in though, when a knock on the door startled her. Since she left the feast without her ladies and all the grooms were there too, she was completely alone. She went and opened the door, and to her surprise, one of Jane's ladies was there, she seemed very young, and very shy. Anne put on a gentle smile on her face and said "Tell me, child"

The girl smiled too, she had been afraid of going to the Marquess, after she had left the Great Hall like that. She was too young for Court when the Marquess and the King were married, but she had heard the stories, people often talked about Anne, they described her either as a very cruel woman who only married the King for power, or either as a heroine, someone who had loved the King with all her heart, only to be cast aside for another. It was incredible being in front of the real Anne Boleyn, not the myth. And the real Anne Boleyn seemed very kind. With a newfound confidence, the girl said "My Lady Marquess, the Queen would like to meet with you privately tomorrow, around noon"

Anne nodded, she understood, if Jane had sent one of her youngest and meekest ladies it was in hopes that no one would notice she was missing, and wouldn't follow her. Jane Seymour wanted to meet with her, but she didn't want people to know, she probably didn't want Henry to know. She said "What's your name, child?" she wanted to know who this girl was, she could prove to be an ally if she needed one.

"Elizabeth Jerningham, milady"

"Very well, Lady Jerningham. Tell the Queen that I'll see her tomorrow"

As she curtsied, Elizabeth said "Yes, milady" then, she left.

* * *

Meanwhile, George and Charles were still at the banquet. As soon as Anne left, they looked at each other alarmed, neither of them thought that Anne would go as far as to leave the feast held for her. It was clear that she had argued with Henry, but why? He must've provoked her, because Anne was doing a remarkable job biting her tongue and being cordial to him, she wouldn't just change her attitude like that, especially knowing how fickle Henry could be.

Charles decided against going after her right away, he knew how it would look, to the courtiers and to Henry, he really didn't want to cause a scene, or push Henry further, only God knew what the consequences could be. So he waited, he pretended as if nothing happened, he mostly talked to Anthony, who knew not to pressure him into talking about Henry or Anne, they were joined by George, and they all spent the evening as if it was any other evening at the Great Hall. That is, until Henry left, Lady Ursula Misseldon not far behind him, Charles waited a few minutes and stood up. George looked at him with a warning expression on his face and said "Where are you going?" He knew that Anne was probably enraged, it was never a good idea to deal with her when she was mad, she had a tendency to lash out and say things she didn't mean, that's why Nan and Madge were still at the banquet, they didn't want to deal with her either.

Charles understood George's concerns, but they weren't going to stop him, he had to make sure that she was fine. He still didn't know what had happened between her and Henry, he needed to feel some sense of control over the situation. So, he ignored George, and left. Once he reached her chambers he opened the door and entered, his hearth started beating faster when he didn't see her in the outer chamber, he went to the inner chamber and found her sleeping on the bed with her dress, shoes, and jewelry still on. Gently, he took of her shoes one by one, then he took off his own shoes and lay down next to her, embracing her from behind, breathing her in and feeling relieved that he had her in his arms. Anne relaxed under his touch and leaned into him. She woke up and grabbed his hands, which were on her stomach, in hers, and started to rub her thumb across one of his hands, as she said "Hey"

Charles kissed the back of her head and said "Hello beautiful"

Anne turned around in his arms, they couldn't possibly be closer to each other, his hands rested on her back and hers grabbed onto his face, she looked at him in the eyes, smiled, and said "Ask me again"

At first, Charles was caught by surprise, for a moment he didn't know what she meant, his mind was so focused on Henry and her safety that he had forgotten completely that he had asked her to marry him. As soon he remembered a huge smile spread across his face and he said "My love, will you marry me?"

Anne giggled and said "Yes, yes, yes. A thousand times yes"

Charles couldn't contain his happiness. With everything that had happened in the last few weeks, it was the only logical thing to do, it was the only thing that made sense, he wanted to be hers and wanted her to be his. He truly did feel like the happiest man alive, so he bent down and kissed her, hoping to express like that all the love he felt inside. Anne eagerly returned the kiss, and gave him many more. Their kisses were full of longing and love, but they were also full of hope. They continued to kiss, until Anne straddled him and undid the buttons of his shirt one by one, as he undid the laces of her dress. They spent the night making love to each other for the first time.

Hours later, after the sun rose, Anne woke up. She felt incredibly content laying there with Charles, they were facing each other, bodies intertwined under the sheets. She rubbed his cheek as he slept, she didn't know how they were going to get Henry to give them his blessing, but she didn't care, she was willing to do anything for this man. She was no longer scared of her feelings for him, she couldn't be sure that he wouldn't hurt her, but she was willing to take the risk for him, she'd rather love him now, than spend the rest of her life without having loved again.

Slowly, Charles opened his eyes and couldn't contain his happiness at the fact that Anne's face was the first thing he saw. He let her know, saying "I swear, this is the best way to wake up"

Anne lifted an eyebrow and said "Really? I thought it was this" before kissing him.

Charles pulled her even closer to him, told her "Well I have to admit, you are right" and they both laughed.

They stayed in each other's arms for a while, until Anne said "Last night one of Jane's ladies came here. She told me that Jane wanted to meet with me today at noon"

Confusion took over Charles' features "You think she wants to talk to you about Henry?"

Anne sighed, "Probably, what else is there to talk about?"

Charles didn't want to push her regarding her argument with Henry, so he settled for rubbing her hair. He decided to give her time to think if she wanted to talk about it.

After a few seconds, Anne said "According to him, you won't make me happy" as she stared off into space.

Charles scoffed and said "As if he made you happy"

Anne smiled, looked at him, and said "I told him that"

In response, Charles raised an eyebrow, his amusement evident, and said "What did he say?"

Anne shrugged as she told him "I don't know. I left" which made them laugh.

Charles kissed her and started to stand up, he said "If I could I'd stay with you a little longer, but Anthony and I have to take care of some stuff for the joust arranged for Edward's birthday" and began dressing.

Surprise took over Anne's features as realization dawned on her, she told him "I completely forgot that his birthday is in just 4 days. Do you know when they're coming?" the last 2 years, Elizabeth had accompanied Edward to court for his birthday celebrations. Anne was excited about seeing her darling child, she hoped Henry wouldn't dismiss her from Court as a punishment after the things she told him the previous night, she was so caught in the moment that she forgot that it was a possibility, but she couldn't say that she regretted her words, someone had to stand up to Henry.

Charles continued dressing as he said "Well, last year they arrived 2 days prior. Maybe it'll be the same this time around, I'll try to find out if someone knows"

She said "Thank you" and grabbed him by the collar for a kiss.

Charles rubbed her cheek, said "I love you, I'll see you later" and left.

When Nan and Madge entered Anne's chambers a few minutes later, they couldn't contain their grins. Nan said "I trust you had a good night's sleep, My Lady" with a mischievous expression on her face, while Madge giggled.

Anne laughed loudly and said "I had! Thank you for asking"

As they helped her in getting ready for the day, Anne told them that Charles had asked her to marry him. Madge couldn't be more excited, she was extremely happy that her mistress and cousin had found love again, Nan was also very happy, but she let Anne know that she thought they wouldn't have an easy road regarding Henry. Anne agreed with her, but said that she was willing to do anything that needed to be done in order to marry Charles. She finished getting ready and sat down for breakfast, a while later, Lady Jerningham was there to take her to the Queen's chambers, all of them knew that she could very well find them herself, but perhaps Jane wanted to make sure that Anne would go, she knew Anne was capable of disobeying anyone's orders, even the Queen's. As they were on their way to the chambers, Anne noticed that she was really starting to hate Whitehall, she was tired that everywhere she went she had a memory to accompany her, entering Jane's chambers was no different, she had given birth in those chambers, she has miscarried there, her happiest and saddest memories were here. She hoped that someday the good would out weight the bad, but she guessed that she would have to make peace with those memories first. She took in her surroundings as she entered the chambers, she noticed that there were few ladies there, Jane probably dismissed the ones she didn't trust enough to keep quiet about their meeting. The four ladies present, two of them Jane's sisters, were embroidering, how boring, her ladies would've been dancing or reading.

Jane looked up from her seat and said "My Lady Marquess, I'm glad to see you" as she stood up.

Anne knew she was required to curtsy, but she couldn't bring herself to do it, so she settled for nodding and saying "Your Majesty, I hope you're well"

Jane smiled, said "I am, thank you. Let's seat" and led them towards a couch in a corner of the room. They sat down and Jane took a deep breath, only then, Anne noticed that she seemed tired, her eyes looked almost hollow, it was as if life had been sucked out of her, with horror it dawned on Anne that Jane looked like she did at the end of her marriage, when it seemed like there was no hope left, and suddenly, she couldn't help but feel compassion towards her rival, and towards Katherine, they had all felt like that, and it wasn't anyone's fault but Henry. She felt the need to comfort her, but she let her talk first. Jane looked into Anne's eyes and said "I need your help" she looked down, started playing with her hands, and followed up with "I know I don't deserve it, not after everything that happened-"

Anne interrupted her before she could finish, she said "No, I need your help too. I don't know the extent of Henry's intentions, but he's playing a game that I don't want to be part of, you can be sure of that" She wanted Jane to know that she needn't worry about her wanting Henry back, she was tempted to tell her about her relationship with Charles, but decided against it. She couldn't trust Jane fully, not yet, she had been smart enough to become Henry's wife, it wasn't a safe bet to underestimate her. She opted for saying "But, to be honest, I don't think he would do anything to harm Edward" They both knew what Anne meant. Yes, Henry loved Mary and Elizabeth, but that didn't stop him from neglecting them when he was no longer interested in their mothers, but he wouldn't put Edward's position as his heir at risk, he had longed for a boy that would continue the succession for his whole life, he wouldn't dare do anything to endanger that. Anne was more worried that he would act in a way that would deny her and Charles the chance of being together, she wasn't worried about him suddenly wanting to get rid of Jane for her, that seemed too far fetched to actually happen.

But Jane was worried about that possibility, she had been one of Katherine's ladies in waiting, she saw Henry's obsession for Anne first hand, she saw what he was capable of doing for her, maybe many had forgotten about that, but she hadn't, she couldn't, because she noticed, when he was courting her, that he was never willing to go as far for her as he had gone for Anne, at the memories and the fear that she and her children were truly in danger, Jane's eyes filled with unshed tears, she looked at Anne and said "All he did, he did it for you. He tore England in half because he wanted to marry you, how much further can a man go?"

Faced with that, Anne couldn't help the tug at her heartstrings, as she remembered all he had done for her, back when she thought that she was going to spend the rest of her life loving him. But she also couldn't help the fear she felt, she was afraid of him because she no longer wanted that, and she worried that that wouldn't stop him. Yet, she mustered enough courage to try to convince Jane, and herself, that it wasn't that serious, that it wouldn't go that far, and said "Things are different now"

* * *

Meanwhile, Cromwell was having a meeting with Thomas Seymour, he had just received the reports that Henry had requested from the spies in the North. It seemed like Anne was right, the hoarding of arms was done as a last resort in case the Royal Army attacked them. As he heard Cromwell say that, Thomas slammed his fist in the table, his face was red with anger as he said "Damn her! Why does she always have to make things difficult, had she not put ideas into Henry's mind he wouldn't have asked to know this, we could've just attacked the rebels and get it over with. Now we're lost, Henry's going to find out what we did and we're getting executed at best"

Cromwell just rolled his eyes, he was tired of Thomas Seymour, he was incredibly reckless and incredibly stupid. He waited for his rant to be over and, calm as ever, said "Seymour, the King doesn't have to know about any of this" as he pointed to the reports from the spies. He stood up, put his hand under his chin, looked at the youngest Seymour brother and said "This is our chance to destroy Anne Boleyn once and for all"

A/N: Sooooooooo, what did you think? Aren't Anne and Charles the cutest? This was a big chapter for them, but there is a lot to come. I decided to have Jane and Anne sort of team up, because I'm tired of women hating each other over a man, I also think that, given the circumstances, it was the logical thing to do, it feels true to this Anne and it feels true to this Jane, I think it makes them more real, more three-dimensional, because they're not going to be best friends, they don't even like each other, Anne has all this feelings regarding Jane and Henry and Jane obviously is jealous of Anne, so I think that it's a dynamic worth exploring. Alsoooo, don't you guys think that we're due a Charles/Henry confrontation?

I'm going to be a bit busy this next 2 weeks, but I'll update as soon as I can. I really love where this is going. See you next time, don't forget to review! And remember, if there's anything you'd like to see happen let me know and I'll see what I can do.


	11. This Is You And Him

**A/N:** I know, I know, I'm the worst. But you guys don't know how hard it was to write this chapter! I don't even know why, all I know is that I couldn't capture the vibe I was going for, but I think I finally did it. **Thanks for sticking with me**. Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

 _ **Solitude of Love  
**_  
"Tell him yes. Even if you are dying of fear, even if you are sorry later, because whatever you do, you will be sorry the rest of your life if you say no." Gabriel García Márquez

 **Chapter 10**

Sometimes, Jane wished that she married a knight instead of a King, she loved her husband, _she did_ , but she didn't know if he was worth all the trouble she had to go through. She knew Anne had taken Henry from Katherine, and she had taken him from her, but, did they really take him from someone else? Over the years she had gotten to know her husband, Henry wasn't one to let others choose for him, she thought he was easily manipulated, but she was wrong, he was far smarter than everyone thought, and if he did something it was because he wanted to. The difference between her and Anne was that Anne was the one to push Henry to take the final step and annul his marriage to Katherine, he was gonna get rid of her sooner or later, but Anne had been the catalyst. Instead, when he divorced Anne for her, she hadn't played much of a role, he was set on marrying someone else, she just happened to be in the right place, at the right time. She knew he loved her, but he certainly didn't show it as much as he had during their first year of marriage, he didn't visit her bed as often, but, more important than that, he didn't treat her the way he treated her before, he used to be gentle with her, kind, she could feel his affection was sincere, but over the years she started to notice that, even thought he still treated her with kindness, it was somewhat faked, and not because he was angry with her, worse, it seemed that he just didn't care anymore, and she couldn't help but wonder if he was getting tired of her. By the time she realized that Henry had changed, she wasn't really scared, she had given him what no one else had, a son, he wouldn't dare do something that would harm his heir, besides, he had kept Lady Ursula Misseldon as his mistress, and she knew he had no intention of changing that anytime soon, his feelings for the lady didn't reach those heights. Still, she decided that she needed to study the court's machinations, have powerful allies, and loyal spies. Before, she would've let her family handle it all, but they were the ones that put her in the very position she was in, it was time she had some power over her life, that's why, ever since she realized that things had changed in her relationship with Henry, she started to get involved more in the court's politics, she had a few trusted ladies and groomsmen, and they had helped her all through that process, and she couldn't be more thankful to them. She did it as precaution, in case Henry got tired of her, but she thought of it as a far-fetched possibility, she didn't really think he would divorce her, but of course, that changed the second she found out that Henry had summoned Anne Boleyn back to court, she wasn't stupid, she had seen the way he looked at her and the Duke of Suffolk when they were in Hatfield, with pure jealousy, what she didn't think was that he would act on his feelings, she had been naive enough to believe that he would forget about Anne Boleyn, as if Henry Tudor could ever do that. In that second she truly feared for her life, she was glad that Anne seemed willing to work with her to stop Henry from pursuing her, she was set on saving her marriage, or, at least, her life.

She knew that there were rumors about Henry meeting privately with Cromwell and her brothers didn't know if they were true or not, her spies had already confirmed that. At first she didn't know if the meetings had something to do with her and Anne or if they were related to the rebellion. It was a well known fact that Cromwell hated Anne, so he wouldn't help Henry as easily, but when Henry set his sight on some goal it was hard to stop him until he reached it. However, one of Thomas' groomsmen was one of her spies and had told one of her ladies that he overheard her brother talking to Cromwell, apparently he and the King had indeed met an were planning on going to war, why they didn't discuss such matters in a Privy Council meeting was beyond her. However, sounds of "Make way for the King! Make way!" Brought her out of her thoughts, and before she realized it, Henry had entered her chambers accompanied by her darling son and his youngest sister.

* * *

3 days had passed, and to Anne's surprise, she hadn't seen Henry since the feast he held in her honor. She had taken walks in the park, she had attended dinner in the Great Hall, she had walked through the castle, and he was nowhere to be seen. She couldn't help but be suspicious. It wasn't as if he was busy with the rebellion, according to Charles, the Privy Council hadn't met since the day of the hunt, so what was Henry doing? Of course, she heard rumors that said that he had been meeting privately with Cromwell, but she didn't know if they were true, no one did, and she was getting impatient, she needed to know where she stood with him, so, to say that she was annoyed, when Lady Jerningham found her and told her that the Queen and the Royal Children were waiting for her in the Queen's chambers, was an understandment, Henry didn't even have someone tell her that her child had arrived, she had to find out from Jane. God, that man was insufferable, she knew him, he was pretending she didn't exist, but he did that because he had an ace up his sleeve and he couldn't risk her figuring out what it was, for god's sake, she had known the man for 10 years and he hadn't changed a bit, her suspicions about him planning something were proven correct the very second the lady appeared at her doorstep.

She decided to go meet with Jane and the children as soon as possible, she was dying to see the kids, and it was also a great opportunity to talk to Jane. Se entered without making a noise and saw Edward sitting in Jane's lap and Elizabeth sitting next to them, they were all laughing at something Edward had said and didn't realize she was watching them, but, as soon as she got closer to them, the children looked at her and joyous smiles took over their features, the two ran towards her yelling "Mama!" and "Nan!" She kneeled and hugged them both as tight as she could and said "My darlings! I'm so happy to see you" as they stepped out of her embrace she said "Let me look at you!" she brought her hand to her mouth in shock and added "My God! You're both so big and beautiful"

Edward looked at her and asked "Nan, you're here for my birthday!" His tone showed his excitement at the prospect that his dear Nan was going to be present at his celebration, she had never attended his birthdays even though she gave him a gift every year after he and Lisbeth returned to Hatfield.

Elizabeth, too, was excited about her mother being in court for Edward's birthday, besides the fact that this was the first time her mama was back in court after her father married the Queen, she was excited because maybe this meant that her mama was going to attend her birthday celebrations too! She loved the gifts and the banquets her father held in her honor, but her happiest birthdays were those spent with her mother dancing or trying on dresses.

Anne smiled gently at them and said "I am! Aren't you excited?"

As Edward began to tell Anne all about how his father usually celebrated his birthday, Jane dismissed most of her ladies, she decided this was the perfect time to tell Anne what she knew regarding Henry and Cromwell.

Once the kids and Anne were done talking, Jane threw her a look that showed her need to speak with her, so Anne looked at Edward and Elizabeth and told them "Why don't you two sit here and play while I talk to the Queen?" The two did as they were told and Anne and Jane sat in a corner of the room, far enough from the few prying ears present.

Jane looked concerned, yet confused, as she said "I've been told that Henry and Cromwell have indeed been meeting. Apparently, they're planning to go to war with the rebels"

Anne was taken aback for a second as soon as she heard Jane say that, she was sure Henry was planning something regarding her and Charles, not this. Hadn't they just talked about how bad of a decision going to war was? Quite frankly, now she had more questions than answers. She shook her head and said "There has to be something else. Why wouldn't they discuss that with the Privy Council?" But as she said that, realization dawned on her, Charles was a member of the Privy Council, maybe Henry was planning something that did involve them and he couldn't let Charles in on it. She knew that, in Court, every move was though of, no one did anything just because they felt like it, especially Henry, there was more to those meetings. She just needed to figure out what it was.

* * *

Being the best friend of the King was not an easy job, Charles Brandon had to be an honest friend, yet an obedient subject, all depending on Henry's mood. So, he was not exactly thrilled when he was summoned to the King's office, especially given the fact that now Anne was between them, and that was probably why he was summoned in the first place. Henry wouldn't stop at anything to get what he wanted, even if it was at the cost of his best friend's happiness.

As soon as he entered the chambers, Henry looked up from some papers and exclaimed with fake excitement "Charles!"

Charles detected the fake enthusiasm in Henry's tone, so he just nodded his head and respectfully said "Your Majesty"

Henry smiled and waved his arm as he said "My dear friend, call me Henry" Then, faked confusion took over his features, he laid back in his chair and said "I haven't seen you around lately" He knew Charles had been seeing Anne, he had his spies.

Charles did his best to contain his annoyance. He really wasn't looking forward to having to endure Henry's passive aggressiveness, but he could play that game too. He smiled knowingly and said "I could say the same about you" it was true. Henry had practically been locked in his chambers the past few days.

Henry smiled too and nodded, he wasn't going to fight Charles about that, that's not why he summoned him. He signaled the seat in front of him and said "Take a seat" Then, he pretended to be thinking about something and added "You know, I never thought that you would end up replacing me with Anne, you two seem very close"

There it was. Of course he was going to bring up his and Anne's relationship. He ignored Henry's comment about replacing him, their friendship was never the same after Henry's marriage to Jane, Charles was done with the ploys and the games after they got rid of Anne, with her gone he was secure that she wouldn't threaten his position, his few enemies had been discarded and he had nothing to worry about, so he settled for living a more normal life, which meant distancing himself from Henry. At first, it was unintentional, but once he and Anne started getting along he did it consciously. In response to Henry, he opted for a shrug "We're good friends"

Henry faked confusion and wondered out loud "How did that happen? You used to hate her" Then, nonchalantly, and as an afterthought, he added "She certainly hated you" He was going to stop at nothing to get under Charles' skin, he wanted him to lose his temper and do something he'd regret.

However, Charles was aware of Henry's intention, so, he forced himself to calm down, even though he wanted to punch Henry, and shrugged again "I guess people change"

Henry was not a man of patience, Charles' attitude was starting to bother him. He acted as if he knew everything about Anne, when he didn't. He scoffed in response, he shook his head and, with a defiant look in his eyes, said "Anne Boleyn is not that kind of person"

Finally, Henry's façade was shattering, his overly-friendly and confused demeanor was gone, and he was showing his true colors. Charles suppressed the urge to smirk at his little victory. He crossed his arms over his chest and, equally defiant, told Henry "You don't know her anymore" It was clear the conversation was turning personal, at last.

Henry leaned forward in his seat and put both arms on top of his desk before saying "Tell me Charles, what makes you thing she's being sincere with you? We both know there's no other woman as power-hungry as her. For all you know, she could be using you to make me jealous"

Charles couldn't contain himself at Henry's comment, he let out a chuckle before he shook his head and repeated "To make you jealous?" amusement all over his tone. As much as he tried, Charles couldn't treat Henry as his King, not today. Apparently, Henry wasn't thinking about that matter either.

Henry's face changed in a matter of seconds. He looked down, as if he was thinking about something, and then, with fake concern, said "Charles, you need to stay away from Anne"

Charles was sure that if Henry had been an actor he would've been the most acclaimed one of all of Christendom. His ability to change his expressions had always stunned him, it was no exaggeration that Henry was known for changing according to how he wanted to twist a situation. But Charles was not going to fall for that, he challenged him "Why?" his tone dripping anger.

Henry's answer was a short sentence, but his voice was filled with rage "Because she's mine" This was no longer about provoking Charles, this was about what was his.

Charles clenched his fists so tight that he was sure his nails were going to cut through his skin, but if he didn't do that, nothing would stop him from punching Henry. He simply said "If she was still yours she wouldn't be marrying me"

As soon as the words left Charles mouth, Henry felt like someone had stabbed him. He didn't know if he was more hurt over the fact that Anne wanted to marry someone else, or over the fact that that someone was Charles. He stood up and went to the window, as he looked outside, through gritted teeth, he said what he wanted Charles to understand, and what he himself needed to hear "That woman will never love anyone as much as she loved me and you know it" He then looked at his former best friend and said "Leave" he couldn't bare the sight of Charles Brandon any longer, he was going to make sure that he wouldn't marry Anne, no matter what it took.

* * *

Anne decided against having dinner at the Great Hall, she needed to think about what Jane had told her. She was sitting in front of the fireplace when someone opened the door and entered her chambers, her face lit up when she realized that that someone was Charles. As he got closer she stood up, and once he was in front of her she hugged his middle and buried her head in his chest, he hugged her back and kissed the top of her head. Yet, despite his comforting presence, she could feel that he was tense, she grabbed his face in her hands and, with concern, said "What is it, love?"

Charles sighed deeply, after his fight with Henry he went directly to her and hadn't stopped to breathe, unfortunately, that also meant that he could feel a headache just setting in. He stepped out of her embrace, put a hand on his forehead and said "Henry confronted me about you"

Of course, Henry wouldn't talk to her but he would fight with Charles. Why did he have to bring Charles into all of this? She was her own person, she made her own decisions, and there was no way he could charm his way to her heart again, he should know that. But no, he had to take it out on Charles and make everything more complicated. Yet, she tried to control her anger, she reminded herself that she needed to think with a clear head if she wanted to be smarter than him, so she asked Charles "What did you tell him?"

Charles rubbed his face with his hands and matter-of-factly said "To put it simply, that we're going to get married"

Anne tensed up as soon as she heard him, she didn't think he would tell Henry about them, let alone about his proposal, they hadn't agreed on that, why on earth would he do it? And without discussing it with her first?! She turned to him and angrily said "You did _what_?"

Charles was taken aback, he knew she was upset about the situation with Henry, but was she directing her anger at him? He didn't want to fight with her, but he was not in the mood to deal with her blaming him for Henry's doings. In a mix of confusion and anger he said "Are you angry?" spitting out the last word.

Anne could see the change in his demeanor, but she didn't care, he owed her an explanation, he couldn't blame her for that! He was the one complicating everything. Her tone of voice revealed her frustration as she said "Charles, why would you tell him?"

Charles' anger only grew, what was it with her? He was fighting for them and she was angry? As he waved his arms around and his tone of voice rose, he said "Are you listening to yourself? He was acting like you belong to him, he said you were his! What did you expect me to do? Say 'Yes, Your Majesty' and leave?"

Anne understood what he was saying, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was the one who had to deal with Henry, why couldn't he understand that? Her tone also increased when she replied "No! But I was the one who should've told him. This is between me and him!"

He yelled at her "No, Anne. This is between me and you!" he paused, exhaled as he shook his head in disbelief and, looking right into her eyes, said "You just can't stay away from him, can you? Not even when you're marrying me" his tone, much lower than before, held a note of resignation.

Anne huffed, why didn't he understand her? This had nothing to do with his fears of losing her to Henry, quite the contrary actually, her tone also dropped in volume as she said "Charles don't start with this again"

Charles' eyes filled with tears of frustration as he realized that she just didn't get his point, he pleaded with her to understand him " _This_ is you and me, Anne! This is you and _him_. His presence is always going to loom around us, how foolish was I to think any different."

Suddenly, she was taken back to the past, to a time when she said almost the exact same thing to Henry about Catherine "It's always been me and him, I've always dealt with him on my own, I was not expecting you to-"

Charles interrupted her and said "To interfere?" When she didn't answer he took a deep breath and added "Look, Anne. I love you, more than I've ever loved anyone, but I'm not going to be second best to Henry Tudor, not with you. I'm done with this" and turned to walk to the door, a hint of defeat in his tone.

Anne took a step back and with questioning eyes asked him in disbelief "What do you mean you're done with this?"

Charles opened the door, turned to Anne, shook his head and said "It'll always be you and him and you know it" He shut the door behind him and left. To the untrained eye he would seem normal, but Anthony and George, who were walking down the hall, noticed his mood right away. But before they could ask him about it, Charles angrily said "Leave me alone" and kept walking.

George and Anthony looked at each other, worried looks on their faces. George shook his head and said "I knew this was going to happen, Henry is never a good idea"

* * *

To start Edward's birthday celebration Henry had planned a joust, the whole Court was in attendance. Anne was sitting with her ladies watching the events unfold, George was participating in the joust, so he couldn't sit with her, and Elizabeth sat in the Royal Box with Henry, Jane, Edward and Mary, it was the first time Mary was seen publicly at an event Anne also attended and everyone was aware of that, but they were more interested in the fact that Charles was not asked to participate in the joust and yet he and Anne were sitting as far from each other as possible. Henry also noticed, so he decided to test something, he sent one of his servants to fetch Charles and, once he arrived at the Royal Box, he told him "Charles, I didn't ask you to joust?" feigning surprise, as if the events of the day before hadn't happened.

Charles resisted the urge to roll his eyes and through gritted teeth answered "No, Your Majesty, you did not"

Henry kept his act and slapped his hand on his leg and said "Oh, what a shame!" turning to Edward he said "Edward, wouldn't you have liked to see the Duke of Suffolk jousting?"

Edward, innocent as ever, couldn't see that he was a pawn in his father's game. He really liked the Duke, he always played with him when he visited Hatfield with his Nan, he wanted to be like him when he grew up, so he answered "Yes papa! Can he do it?"

Henry smiled triumphantly, shrugged, and said "Well, only he can answer that"

Edward looked at Charles and full of hope asked "Will you, My Lord?"

Charles couldn't help but smile, he couldn't deny the kid anything, even if it was at the expense of doing what Henry wanted him to do. Besides, perhaps jousting would do him good, playing sports always had a way of relaxing him, so he said "Of course, Your Highness" and left to put his armor on.

Charles had to joust against Thomas Seymour, when it was their turn they had to ask a Lady for their favour and Charles found himself at a crossroads. If Anne would've been okay with him telling Henry about their marriage he would've asked for hers, confirming everyone's suspicions once and for all, but he couldn't do that now. And yet, he understood that Henry wanted him to joust to see this very thing, if he didn't ask for Anne's favour Henry would think that it was because he was staying away from her, as he had told him to. So he decided to do something that wouldn't appease Henry's doubts, his actions wouldn't confirm, nor deny, anything. As Thomas Seymour asked his wife for her favour, Charles headed to the Royal Box, kneeled before Elizabeth and said "Your Highness, would you do me the honor of giving me your favor?" with a soft smile on his face, that everyone could see was sincere.

Elizabeth smiled widely at him, she stood up, with grace and elegance beyond her years, and said "Of course, Your Grace" as she untied the ribbon around her wrist and tied it around his lance.

As he watched the events unfold, Henry was filled with rage. Charles wasn't satisfied with taking Anne from him, he also had to take his daughter! He turned to Cromwell, who was standing on his right side, and motioned for him to lean closer. Once Cromwell did that, Henry whispered in his ear "We'll go to war, and the Duke of Suffolk will lead our troops"

A/N: So, what did you guys think? We got a glimpse of Jane's thoughts, Henry and Charles fought, our babies fought, and CHARLES IS LEADING THE TROOPS, WHAT?


	12. Brandon

**A/N:** Honestly, I'm still blown away by the response this story has gotten, as always, **thank you so much. I promise I'm gonna finish it** , I don't know when, but I will. **Remember, if you'd like to see something happen, let me know!  
**  
 _ **Solitude of Love  
**_  
"Tell him yes. Even if you are dying of fear, even if you are sorry later, because whatever you do, you will be sorry the rest of your life if you say no." Gabriel García Márquez

 **Chapter 11**

After the jousts ended, all the courtiers moved inside to the Great Hall. Henry wanted to have an outdoor celebration, but October was already too cold for that. So he settled for having the servants arrange the tables in one side of the hall, while the other side served as a place where Edward, Elizabeth, and their friends could play, it wasn't often that kids were let into Banquets, but this was Edward's birthday, he and his friends had to be there. Front and center was the dance floor. Once again, to the surprise of everyone, Anne and Charles sat as far away from each other as possible. Everyone knew the day was going to be eventful. It was Edward's birthday, Jane Seymour's son, and they didn't know how Anne would take to that, they hardly knew anything of her life after the divorce. Also, it was the first time that the Lady Mary and Anne Boleyn were in the same place in a very long time. And to top it all of, the last time they saw Henry and Anne together, she stormed out on him. And now, now it seemed that the Duke of Suffolk and the Marquess of Pembroke didn't want anything to do with each other as well. No one could deny that whenever Anne Boleyn was in court things were more than interesting.

She didn't want to admit it, but not having Charles by her side left her with an odd feeling. However, she firmly decided against thinking about him, she couldn't deal with those thoughts today, so she settled for watching the people around her. Suddenly, she felt like she had felt all those years ago, when her marriage to Henry was ending. She felt alone. Since she left Court new people arrived, people that only new the story of Anne Boleyn, they didn't know _her._ To them, she was almost a myth, and for that very same reason they didn't dare approach her. So, no, she didn't have as many enemies as she did all those years ago, but she was surrounded by people who preferred to admire her from afar, as if she was some sort of untouchable being and not a person just like them. However, in the crowd of faces she found a familiar one. Mark Smeaton was a few feet away, he had just finished playing some music and was on his way to her. She smiled instantly at the sight, she'd be lying of she said that she didn't miss Court, especially the few friends she still had there.

As soon as Mark got to her side he bowed his head, he grabbed her hand and kissed it, and said "My Lady" his voice betrayed his happiness at being in her presence once more.

Anne couldn't stop smiling at him, she said "Mark, I've been meaning to talk to you, but these days have been eventful" as she motioned for him to sit next to her.

Mark smiled in understandment and said "Oh, I know. Rumors have been flying around ever since you stepped foot in here" Sometimes he couldn't help but feel for the beautiful lady in front of him, scandal and gossip seemed to follow wherever she went, it seemed that she simply couldn't catch a break. He knew she had loved the attention all those years ago, she wasn't one to shy away from the spotlight, but he had seen her downfall first hand, and he knew that she didn't want to relive that ever again. If he had to guess, he'd say that she wasn't the same Anne Boleyn that left Whitehall 3 years ago. It was a shame, truly, that she found herself in this position again, especially when, apparently, she didn't want to be in it.

A smile crept its way into Anne's face and she shrugged as she said "Well, I'm not the scandal of Christendom for nothing"

Mark could see that, despite the wisdom that she had acquired over the years, the same fire of her youth remained. He laughed heartily in response and said "Well, I got to give that to you, My Lady"

Anne kept a smile on her face but she turned somewhat serious, she grabbed one of Mark's hands in hers and told him "But enough about me, how are you?"

And that was the thing about Anne Boleyn. People loved to talk about what a selfish person she was, but Mark had never met a woman of her station that cared about her friends and family as she did, without wanting anything in return.

* * *

While Anne and Mark discussed life, Cromwell noticed that Thomas Seymour was standing next to one of the pillars of the Hall alone. Since he was out of sight he made his way to him. He casually stood next to him and, as he scanned the crowd, said "We're going to war and the Duke of Suffolk is leading out troops" a glint of happiness in his eyes.

Thomas Seymour simply smirked in triumph before raising his goblet in Cromwell's direction and downing all of his wine. However, what neither he, nor Cromwell, realized, was that Lady Elizabeth Jerningham stood on the other side of the very same pillar they stood next to and she had heard their whole conversation. But that wasn't a coincidence.

 _A few hours prior Anne was sitting in her chambers deep in thought as Nan did her hair for Edward's birthday celebrations. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something going on with Cromwell and Thomas Seymour, there was something suspicious about the way they acted, like they were keeping a secret. She needed to find out what it was, but she couldn't do it herself. Suddenly, she looked at Nan through the mirror and told her "Nan, please ask one of the grooms to fetch Lady Elizabeth Jerningham for me. Tell him to tell the Queen that I wish to send her something in congratulations for her son's birthday"_

 _Nan's expression revealed her puzzlement, but she still did as her mistress asked. While she did that, Anne opened the trunk that carried her jewels. Amongst them there were a few that Henry had gifted her, back when they were courting, but she couldn't get rid of them, they still meant a lot to her, they reflected a very important part of her life, besides, she couldn't give Jane one of those, Henry would know immediately, after all, he had a very good memory. Amongst her jewels there were also a few items that she designed when she was Queen and some others that she had ordered been made during her time in Pembroke, it didn't matter that she no longer lived in Court, Anne Boleyn was not one to dress poorly, no matter where she was. After inspecting most of her jewels she got out a golden brooch adorned with emeralds and a pair of pearl earrings adorned with rubies. She closed the trunk and went back to her seat, just as Nan returned and finished doing her hair._

 _A few minutes after Nan was done with Anne's hair, Madge entered the inner chamber and said "My Lady, Lady Jerningham is waiting for you"_

 _Anne thanked her and made her way to the outer chamber. Once she saw the child curtsying she told her "Rise, Lady Jerningham" with a gentle smile on her face. Once Elizabeth did as she told her, Anne got closer to her and looked into her eyes as she said "I need you to do something for me"_

 _Seeing the look on Anne's face and hearing the seriousness of her tone, Elizabeth understood the importance of the situation. A solemn expression took over her features and she was quick to assure Anne "Anything, My Lady" She deeply respected the woman in front of her, despite, or perhaps in spite, of what everyone else said about her. So, if she was asking her to do something important, she was going to do it, no matter what._

 _Anne smiled and, internally, sighed in relief, she knew the kid wasn't going to say no, she couldn't, but the fact that she actually seemed willing to do anything that she asked of her was proof of the her loyalty to her. "Today I need you to keep a close eye on Secretary Cromwell and Baron Seymour. I don't mind much of what they do on their own, but if you see them talking I need to know what it is that they're talking about"_

 _After a moment of registering what Anne was saying, Elizabeth simply nodded. She decided it was best not to ask questions, she'd just do as she was commanded to. She saw Anne opening her palm and she realized that she had been holding something in her hands the entire time._

 _Anne gave her the brooch as she said "I sent for you with the pretense that I wanted to give the Queen something, you can't go back empty handed, can you?" before laughing._

 _Elizabeth laughed with her and said "No, My Lady. I can't" as she grabbed the piece of jewelry._

 _Suddenly Anne turned serious, but a gentle smile remained on her face. She stretched out her hand to give Elizabeth the earrings and said "These are for you. I can't thank you enough for what you're doing for me"_

 _Elizabeth's eyes went wide as soon as she saw the earrings, she had never seen something so beautiful, she had never owned something so beautiful. She shook her head as she said "My Lady, I… I can't accept them" She simply couldn't take something that expensive._

 _Anne smiled as she grabbed Elizabeth's hand, put the earrings in her palm, and closed it. Still holding her hand in hers, she said "You can and you will"_

Elizabeth didn't know why Anne wanted to know what they were talking about, but as soon as she heard the words that came out of the Secretary's lips she understood the urgency of the situation. First of all, she guessed that no one knew that the King had decided to go to war, otherwise she would've heard rumors about it. So, that in itself was urgent news. And second, she was aware of the rumors flying around about Anne and The Duke of Suffolk and, even if they were merely friends, the prospect of him leading the troops had to be worrying for her. She couldn't wait to tell Anne of her findings, but when she looked for her, she found her deep in conversation with the Court's musician and she realized that there was no way she could talk to her without gathering at least the Queen's attention, after all, she had left her side with the excuse of fetching water, it was about time she returned.

* * *

Despite everything that was going on, Jane was happy. Her son was turning 3 years old and she was there to see him grow up. When she gave birth to him she was sure that she was going to die and that was her biggest fear, not being able to be part of her son's life. She knew how much his father would pressure him to be great, after all, he was his only male heir, and she also knew that her siblings would be just as hard on him, if not more. She was extremely thankful that God had given her the chance to be there for him as only a mother can.

Henry turned to her and seeing the smile on her face he smiled too. Then, he grabbed her hand said "My Queen, are you happy?" He sure was. His son was as happy and healthy as ever, he was sure that the Royal Army was going to defeat the rebels, and he was sending Charles away from Court, and from Anne.

Jane turned to look at her husband and said "Yes, Your Majesty. Our son is quite the charmer" as she stifled a giggle. She had been watching Edward lead his friends around, they all seemed to be entranced with him. In that sense, he certainly was his father's son.

Henry smiled fondly and said "He sure is" as he went back to watching their son. Just in that moment he saw Edward running towards Anne, who was sitting talking to Mark Smeaton, as he yelled "Nan, Nan!" He couldn't help but notice how most of the Court stopped what they were doing to watch the scene, and he realized that no one knew how much Edward loved Anne. However, he didn't mind what the Court thought, but he found it intriguing to find out how Jane felt about it all. Without looking at her, he said "He certainly has taken a liking to Anne" careful not to let any emotion show through his tone, only amusement.

Jane couldn't help the smile that graced her lips the second she heard what Henry said. If he had told her the same thing a few days ago she would've stayed quiet, but now things were different. She was grateful to Anne for agreeing to help her, and now she understood that it was better for her that Edward was in Anne's good graces, he needed all the support he could get. She knew that many were going to side with him because he was the future King of England, but when it came to Anne, she could be sure that her support was honest. Besides, whether she knew or not, Anne Boleyn still held a great deal of power, it was best for her to have her as an ally, not an enemy. But Henry didn't need to know that, so she simply said "He has. And with good reason, she has been very kind to him"

Henry was stunned into silence, he was sure that Jane hated Anne and would not like that she and their son had such a good relationship, but it seemed he was proven wrong, Jane, as always, saw the good in everything. He couldn't help but be reminded that he married her for that very same reason. He smiled and brought her hand to his lips.

* * *

Hearing Edward call for her was like music to Anne's ears, she absolutely adored the child. As soon as he got close to her, she smiled and said "My Lord, calm down. Look how you're sweating" as she ran a hand through his face and cleaned the sweat from his forehead, the child had been playing for so long that his face was red and he was panting for air, but the smile didn't leave his face. Anne grabbed a goblet with water and gave it to him as she said "Here, sweetheart. Drink some water"

After Edward had drank all the water his face turned serious and he said "My Lady, my friends say that I'm not brave enough to ask the prettiest lady here to dance with me. I was going to ask the Queen, but they said she doesn't count, since she's my mother" although he was trying to keep his tone a whisper, he failed, and almost the whole Court could hear what he was saying, because, even though the music and chatter remained, most of the courtiers had quieted down to pay close attention to the exchange between the Prince of Wales and Anne Boleyn. Most of them tried to stifle their laughter at the boy's behavior, they could see he was trying his best to act as a young man and not a kid. It was an entertaining sight to say the least.

Amusement took over Anne's features and she also had trouble containing her giggles. She said "You're asking if I would like to dance with you, Your Highness?"

Edward nodded solemnly and said "Yes, My Lady. You're almost as beautiful as my mama" Some of the courtiers smiled fondly at the kid as he said that, they were charmed by his innocence.

Anne smiled widely at him and said "You flatter me, Your Highness. It would be an honor to dance with you" as she stood up, grabbed his hand, and let him lead her to the dance floor. Once there, he motioned for her to kneel down to his level and, as soon as she did that, he whispered something in her ear and she nodded. She stood up and hoisted him up in her arms, the rest of the Court laughed good naturedly at the sight. Edward had a way of making everyone smile and forget about schemes and machinations for a while. Besides, in his innocence, he showed everyone a side of Anne Boleyn that not many of them knew of, her motherly side. It was quite the sight, especially because he was the son of her rival. Perhaps the former Queen was not as mean as everyone painted her to be. Or perhaps she was using the young Prince for some other goal. That was what Mary Tudor thought, after the way Anne had treated her she couldn't think of her as a nice woman that would show such love for the son of her rival, she certainly didn't do that with her, her step-daughter. She was an evil woman, willing to do anything in her quest for power. However, Mary couldn't help but doubt, because, either Anne was a very good actress, or she was being sincere. And she didn't want to believe the latter. She couldn't shake the memories of the treatment she and her father inflicted on her and her mother. Before, she was sure that she had poisoned her father's mind, making him act that way, but she had gotten to know her father again and she could see that he did what he wanted. Yet, that was such a painful thought to her, that her own father would discard her and her mother, just like that, that she refused to believe it. And yes, she had seen the way Anne treated Elizabeth, and Edward was a lovable child, but it just didn't fit in her head the image of Anne Boleyn acting out of pure kindness. Perhaps she had changed over the years, she didn't know the details, but the rumors told that the last year of her marriage to her father had been hell on earth for her. Maybe she did have a heart, at least Mary hoped she did, for Edward's sake. But even if he loved her and she him, Mary couldn't forgive her, she had destroyed her and her mother's lives, whether actively poisoning her father against them, or not.

* * *

Charles was watching Anne and Edward dancing when he was approached by a beautiful blue eyed Lady. He couldn't deny that he had had quite his share of wine trying to get Anne out of his thoughts, so he was more than a little inebriated. He couldn't help but take in the Lady's looks as she said "Your Grace, I couldn't help but notice that you haven't danced all evening and neither have I"

Charles nodded in response and asked "What is your name?" a little harsher than he intended to.

The woman smiled amused. She could see that the Duke was in a sour mood, maybe by the end of the night she could help him relax. After all, she needed a reason to stay at Court, the Queen only had place for her sister, Anne, in her household. Perhaps she could get the Duke of Suffolk interested in her instead "I'm Katharine Basset, My Lord"

Charles nodded once more and looked to the dance floor just in time to see Anne and Edward finish their dance. However, as Edward ran to his friends and Anne was about to return to her seat, the new French ambassador in England approached her and, apparently, asked her to dance with him, Anne threw him her most charming smile as she laced her arm through his. Charles was filled with rage. He drank the rest of his wine, stood up, grabbed Lady Basset's hand in his and led her to the dance floor, where more couples stood waiting for the music to begin. However, the dance required them all to switch partners at one point or another, and, a few minutes into the dance, Anne and Charles found themselves dancing together against their own will.

Anne had seen the way Charles danced with the Lady and to say she was jealous was an understatement. By the time they had to dance together she was seething with rage, but she promised herself that she wouldn't lose her temper. She wasn't going to engage in a fight with him, he was free to do as he pleased.

However, it seemed that Charles had other plans, for he smirked at her and said "Cat got your tongue?" as he encircled his arms around her as the dance required, it amused him greatly that she was clearly jealous.

Anne could see that he had had a bit too much to drink, yet, he wasn't drunk, he was aware of what he was saying. When the dance required for them to separate she did it more harshly than she should have as anger lit up her eyes and she said "I see you have not changed, Your Grace. You're still the same manwhore I met all those years ago"

Charles laughed loudly and, before returning to his original partner, whispered in her ear "But now you love me"

What Charles didn't take into account was that Anne wasn't one to let others have the last word. She figured that 2 could play that game, so she was a bit more flirtatious than usual with the French Ambassador and she made sure that Charles noticed it, making eye contact with him a few times and willing him to look at her. She couldn't help but smirk when she noticed that he was fuming with jealousy. When they had to dance together again he grabbed her waist harder than necessary and she smirked and said "What got you so upset, Your Grace?" as sweetly as possible.

They had to stand in front of the other and Charles said "Anne" with a warning tone.

Anne matched his tone as she rose and eyebrow and said "Brandon" clearly defying him.

Charles had to return to Lady Basset's side to finish the dance. But he was reminded of all the times during her courtship and marriage to Henry when she had referred to him by his last name. It infuriated him, he knew he was right when he thought that she could be the cruelest person in the world if she wanted to, but he'd be damned if he didn't also love that about her. He would be lying if he said that he wasn't attracted to her when he first met her all those years ago. Perhaps he had hated her so much because he wanted her, but she had her sights set on Henry, just thinking about it made his blood boil. As the dance ended, he was tempted to get out of there with Lady Basset, to hurt Anne as much as she hurt him, but he simply couldn't. He loved her too much for that. Instead, noticing that the tune of the music had changed to a more romantic one, he went over to where she stood, having parted ways with the French Ambassador, and, as he extended his arm to her, said "Madam, would you dance with me?"

Anne seriously thought about refusing him, but she was aware of the courtiers' eyes on them. They tried to pretend that they weren't looking, but they failed miserably, at least to Anne's trained eye. So, she laced her arm through his and let him lead her to the dance floor once more. However, the tension between them could be cut with a knife. It seemed that their past had finally caught up to them, they had lived blissfully in love for a few months, before Jane and Henry turned up at Hatfield. But now that she was in Court again, all the hatred they had towards each other all those years ago was resurfacing, but now it was more complicated, for they loved each other. After all, as they say, there's a fine line between hate and love. It was only a matter of time before they clashed, because, yes, they had grown up and changed, but they couldn't change who they were. And they were two passionate beings at heart. All that had happened the last few days was bound to put a strain on them, how they got over that would direct the course of their relationship. There was no doubt about it.

They didn't say anything to each other for the duration of the dance. They communicated through movement, he grabbed her hips forcefully and she dug her nails in his shoulders whenever he had to twirl her around. Not once did they lose eye contact and, slowly, rage and jealousy turned into desire and love. The dance ended and they stood facing the other, their chest's touching as they breathed heavily. Charles whispered "What do you think your former husband would say if I kissed you right here?" lust was evident in his eyes, but there was also a glint of rage in them as he remembered her feelings for Henry.

Anne's eyes hardened. She hated that he had to bring him up, and she wanted nothing more than to show him how much she wanted him, not Henry. She didn't say anything, she just bowed to him and went back to her seat. All the way acting as if she had danced with just another courtier, though her eyes revealed a much different story.

Charles didn't know of he wanted to kill her or marry her. The effect she had on him was much stronger than that of the wine. He willed himself to calm down and pretend that nothing had happened. He danced with a few more ladies, chatted with Anthony and George about trivial matters, and, after a while, left the Hall.

Anne tried to ignore Charles for the reminder of the evening. She played with Elizabeth and Edward, and chatted with the Scottish Ambassador in England. However, when she saw Lady Bryan approach Elizabeth, Edward, and their friends, she had her out. She stood up and went over to them. Once she reached them, she said "Lady Bryan, let me take Elizabeth to her chambers"

Lad Bryan went to protest "But, My Lady, you should be enjoying yourself"

Anne smiled at the older woman and said "I think we both know that I would enjoy more getting my daughter ready to sleep" She cherished the few times she got to be with her darling child, she wouldn't change that for the world.

Lad Bryan simply smiled and nodded in response, she knew that Anne didn't have the chance to see her daughter as often as she would've liked, so she understood her. She and the other maids got the kids out of the Hall as Anne grabbed Elizabeth's hand and followed close behind. Anne helped Elizabeth out of her dress and into her nightgown, she brushed her hair, and put her to bed. The child had so much fun that she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Anne kissed her forehead and left. But instead of going to her bedchambers, she went to someone else's. Since everyone was still at the Hall, there was no one near, so she didn't bother with knocking, she simply opened the door and entered. She had not finished closing the door behind her, when a pair of strong arms pinned her to it and kissed her roughly. She kissed him back just as hard and moaned when his hands grabbed the back of her legs and wrapped them around his hips. They stopped kissing to breathe for air and she looked into his eyes and said "Brandon" with a mischievous glint in her eyes and a smirk on her lips. It only made him kiss her harder.

 **A/N:** Let's recap:

\- How awesome is Elizabeth Jerningham?

\- I wanted to show a bit more of Jane's thoughts. Also, we saw Henry act lovingly towards her, so, his love for her is definitely not dead, maybe just forgotten.

\- We also got a glimpse into Mary's thoughts. She still harbors hard feelings towards Anne, but she saw a different side of her.

\- Last but not least, it had been bugging me for the longest time the fact that we hadn't seen Anne and Charles treat each other they way they did when she was married to Henry. Of course, they're older and wiser now, and they love each other, but their past was bound to caught up to them. Luckily, it only made them want the other more than they already did.

I wanted to add more, but I decided to leave the rest for the next chapter. It'll probably be up on Friday. Remember to tell me what you think and I'll see you soon!


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